Perdu
by The Adventures of T and B
Summary: T and B's Guide Around the World. Rule Forty two: Don't try to sail to Russia in a rowboat. Especially if you don't know where you're going. You might crash and stuff will happen. Ben/OC Desmond/OC. Yes, the premise is about as silly as it sounds
1. Bad Luck Island

**Hey, I'm Tamara, one half of T and B. For those of you that are reading this story per my suggestion hidden within **_**Waise Heill**_**, be prepared to face a different type of story that is still so similar. The basis is the same; Tamara and Brittany end up with our favorite characters and inevitably fall in love, but, unlike **_**Waise Heill, **_**they don't get there by reading a book. **

**For those of you that just stumbled upon this story, welcome! Bear with the first few chapters. We wrote chapters one through fourteen the summer of our freshmen year. The writing and the plot gets a lot better as the story goes on. For those of you that don't like self-insertion stories, we do this for fun and most of the stuff in our stories makes no sense whatsoever. Give it a chance. Don't bother flaming. I laugh at flames, and neither Brittany nor I really care. At all.**

**ETA: Breaks indicates either a POV change or time passage.**

**Disclaimer: We don't own **_**LOST **_**or **_**IHOP. **_**And I don't think either of us has a rowboat, either.**

* * *

**Bad Luck Island (Tamara's chapter)**

The itsy-bitsy rowboat rocked dangerously. "What's going on?" Tamara nervously asked her best friend.

"The wonders of the Pacific," Brittany laughed uncomfortably.

"It was _your _idea to _row _across the Pacific!" Tamara scowled.

"We could've take a plane, but _no! _Someone had to stay at a freaking five-star hotel in Paris. You, miss smarty-pants, are the reason we're flat broke!" Brittany replied.

"It was worth it, though," Tamara smiled.

Brittany glared. "There were roaches in my underwear drawer."

"_No. _Your underwear was in the roach drawer," Tamara replied.

"Whatever," Brittany growled.

Suddenly, a huge wave lifted their boat and sent the girls sprawling into the water. They swam to an island and collapsed on the beach. Tamara spit out a great deal of sweater before exclaiming, "Where's our boat?!"

"Here it is!" Brittany held up a plank of wood that faintly read _SS Black Pearl._

"CRAP!" Tamara yelled.

"I guess we'll make camp," Brittany sighed.

"How? I'm caveman-illiterate," Tamara grumbled.

Brittany tsked. "Such a pessimist," she chided.

"Life sucks," Tamara agreed.

With that fateful statement (which shall become the theme of the story), the girls made camp. Well, they made a fire and sat by it. They soon fell asleep, wondering how they would get off this deserted island or if they would be stuck like _Gilligan's Island. _

* * *

Tamara woke with a start. The fire was still burning. She sat up and looked around, but Brittany was nowhere to be seen.

"Brittany?" She called out hesitantly. "Where you at?" When Brittany didn't answer, Tamara yelled hysterically, "This isn't funny you know!"

Tamara grabbed a longer piece of burning wood and headed into the jungle, calling for Brittany.

Suddenly, the voice of a Scottish man said gruffly, "Drop the torch, sista."

Tamara glanced sideways and saw a rifle pointed at her. She hastily dropped the torch (which magically didn't burn anything) and raised her hands. "I come in peace," she declared.

"Who are you and what are you doing?" The man demanded.

"My name's Tamara. My friend Brittany and I crashed here. We were camping. I woke up, and she was gone. I was just looking for her," Tamara explained.

"Were you part of the plane crash?"

"Um, no. We were rowboat wrecked," Tamara replied nervously. "I'm no threat. Would you please lower your gun?"

Surprisingly, the man complied. "I'm Desmond. If what you say is true, then it isn't safe for you here. Come with me."

"What about Brittany?" Tamara demanded.

"She was more than likely taken by the hostiles. There is nothing more you can do for her," Desmond replied.

Tamara sighed. "How can you protect me?"

"I have a boat. It'll take us from the island," Desmond answered.

Tamara nodded. "Let's go then," she said. As an afterthought, she added: "Wait. _What _plane crash?!"

"Oceanic 815," Desmond said after a pause.

"Ooh! I saw something about that in Italy. Of course it was in Italian, so I couldn't understand it," Tamara said.

"What were you doing in Italy?" Desmond asked.

"Going to McDonalds," Tamara replied.

"No. I mean, why were you in Italy in the first place?" Desmond said, thinking he had been unclear.

"Um, that's why we went," Tamara said uncomfortably.

"Where the bloody hell are you from?" Desmond asked.

"Michigan. Brittany and I came up with this trip around the world list. We were on our way to a Russian IHOP when we crashed."

Desmond laughed. "I don't think Russia has an IHOP."

Tamara glared at Desmond's profile. "I don't think I like you."

"Isn't that a shame," Desmond replied, obviously not caring.

"Are you good looking?" Tamara asked suddenly.

Desmond frowned. "Are you blind or something?"

Tamara laughed. "No, but it's sort of, you know, dark out here."

"True. Let's go, before _they _find us," Desmond answered.

Tamara followed Desmond as best as she could in the dark. Finally, Desmond threw out his arm to halt her. "We're here," he said.

They carefully boarded the boat. "We should be in Fiji in less than a week," Desmond said.

"Can we go to Russia instead?" Tamara asked.

"No."

"How about Singapore?" Tamara asked.

"Maybe," Desmond shrugged. "Do you know how to sail?"

Tamara stared at him. "I sailed across the Pacific in a rowboat. What do you think?"

"Right. Stupid question," Desmond muttered.

Tamara helped Desmond set sail before crashing below deck.

* * *

When Tamara woke up, the first thing she did was rehash events in her mind. "Oh, hell," she sighed before rising and coming up on deck. Desmond was staring out at the ocean wistfully. "Wow, you _are _good looking," Tamara declared.

"You're awake," Desmond slurred.

Tamara raised an eyebrow. "Thank you, Captain Obvious," Gently she plucked the empty beer bottle from Desmond's hand. She read the label, and then she double checked to make sure she'd read it correctly. "Dharma booze," she read aloud. "You've got to be kidding me." Tamara tossed the bottle into the ocean.

Desmond pulled out another bottle. He offered it to Tamara. "Nope. I only drink Captain Morgan."

"Why?" Desmond asked.

Tamara laughed. "It sounds silly, but I've always wanted to be a pirate. Even through college."

"What did you do for a living?" Desmond asked.

"I was an actress," Tamara answered.

"Were you in anything I might have seen?"

"Maybe. I was in _Telulalah Lake. _Smutty romance. Um, I play fairies a lot," Tamara answered.

"I can see why," Desmond said before he could stop himself.

Tamara smiled. "It's just going to be you and me for a week. Man, woman, hot, sexy, tropical atmosphere." Her grin turned seductive. "Accidents happen."

"Sorry, sista, but I've got a girlfriend," Desmond interrupted.

Tamara sighed dramatically. "The world is against me."

"Let me make it up to you," Desmond pulled a black bandana out of his pocket.

Tamara took it gleefully, then she frowned. "Dare I ask _why _you're running around with a pirate bandana in your pocket?"

"I found it in the station," Desmond answered.

"Care to elaborate?"

"On that bloody island. There's a station with this button that needs to be pushed every 108 minutes," Desmond explained.

"Or what?"

Desmond shrugged. "I don't know. The survivors of Flight 815 are taking care of it now."

"That island must be christened Bad Luck Island," Tamara said as she put on her bandana. "I feel like a pirate!" Tamara was wearing a bikini under her clothes, so she stripped and lay on the deck. The gentle rock of the boat and the warm air lulled her to sleep.

Tamara awoke and watched Desmond polish his gun. "Hey," she murmured, "do you think you can teach me how to shoot?"

Desmond raised his eyebrows. "Sure. Come here," Tamara rose but Desmond halted her. "I can't talk to you unless you're wearing pants."

"But it's _hot,_" Tamara whined. "Do you have a knife?"Desmond nodded and handed her a knife, but Tamara pulled it away, sticking her tongue out. "Pirate," she grinned.

"Do you want to learn how to shoot or not?"

* * *

**Ew. Please bear with us these first few chapters. Things get a lot better. Trust me. Also, I forgot, but typing this chapter reminded me. For those of you that read **_**Waise Heill,**_** you'll get rewarded for reading this with multiple allusions to that story. Telulalah Lake, anyone? **

**To clear up any future confusion, this story starts after the season two episode, Orientation, and goes until after season four.**

**Review!**


	2. Worse Than When She Started

**Disclaimer: **_**LOST **_**doesn't belong to us.**

**FYI: **_**Perdu **_**is French for **_**LOST. **_**What? We thought it was clever...and we couldn't come up with a better title. **

**Stay tuned for some news at the end.**

**Chapter 2: Worse Than When She Started (Brittany's Chapter)**

All the way on the other side of the island, Brittany woke up to find herself tied to a pool table. She rubbed her head as she felt a blinding pain echo through her skull. "Bloody hell, what did I do last night?" she asked.

She jumped up when she realized that she was tied up, but fell off the pool table. "Oof!" She grunted. She had landed on her right arm and face. She picked herself up and noticed blood on the floor. She reached up with her right arm but yelled in pain as she moved it. "I bloody broke it!" she hissed through gritted teeth.

With her left hand, she felt her face and realized that her nose was broken, too. "Good Ghandi!" she moaned.

Brittany felt a large bump on the back of her head and deduced that was what had caused her excruciating headache. She held her head back and pinched her nose as carefully as she could. Only then did she notice her surroundings. Brittany was in a recreational room, complete with bar, tables, pool table, arcade games, and stereos.

"Where am I?" she asked, though it sounded like, "Where ab I?"

Since her ankles were tied up as well, she hopped over to a window and looked out. The window was blocked, though, so she couldn't see anything out of it. Brittany hopped over to the couch and sat down, trying to piece together what happened last night.

"So, I was rowing with Tamara to Russia. Then we were boat-wrecked, so we made camp. Tamara fell asleep, but I stayed awake, standing guard. I heard a rustle and investigated, then this big guy appeared and knocked me out."

"That big guy would be me," grunted a man by the door. "Were you talking to yourself?"

Brittany looked around. "Apparently not."

"Looks like you had a mishap," The man said, indicating her nose.

"Yeah. I fell off of the pool table. My arm is broken, too," Brittany looked sadly at her arm.

"Oh, well, we'll have Juliet look at that," he said. "I'm Tom, by the way."

"Brittany," she nodded to him.

"So, how'd you get here?" he asked, crouching down opposite of her.

"Wait a minute! You kidnapped me! I don't think you have the right to question me."

Tom shrugged. "This is my island, and you're trespassing."

"Well, excuse me! I didn't choose to crash here! Besides, you heard my say. That's pretty much what happened."

"Are you sure that's all?" Tom looked at her closely.

"Yeah, why would I lie to you? Now, let me ask my questions!"

Tom shook his head. "Afraid I can't do that, Brittany. Only one man answers questions, and you can't see him."

"Why not?"

"He's busy, and you have to stay put until your story checks out. Where's your friend?"

"You mean Tamara? I don't know, probably still back at the beach."

"She's not. I went back after taking you, and she had disappeared. Where'd she go?"

"I don't know."

"Will she come to look for you?"

Brittany thought for a moment. "Nope. She'll have thought I was already dead."

"Some friend," Tom smirked.

"Yup. My best friend," Brittany grinned.

"Alex will be in soon with some food and bandages. Thank you for being cooperative," he added.

"Yeah, no problem, just as long as you're not going to kill me," Brittany hinted.

"We're not killers, Brittany," Tom replied before leaving.

She was left in silence once again. She moved her arm inch by inch, trying to find a comfortable spot for it.

Her nose continued to bleed and dripped down her shirt. She laid back her head on the couch and wondered, _I wonder what Tamara is up to. _

**Wow, I hadn't realized how short that was. **

**You don't have to wait too long for the next chapter, though. In response to constant reviews begging updates over the past week, I've decided that I'm going to type up previews for both **_**Waise Heill **_**and **_**Perdu **_**on our profile. The one that's going up this week will be short because I know that my next chapter is like, a page written. Sorry, but we wrote the first few chapters during exams, and they ended up being insanely short because we were literally pumping out a chapter a day. Then, we sort of took a hiatus from the notebook and began typing the chapters and e-mailing them. Once we transferred back to the notebook, the story gets a lot better. Bear with us.**


	3. Shiny Penny's Your Girl No Longer Matey

**This chapter…I apologize with it, but I do have sort of an excuse. You'll see that Brittany and I really follow the basic storyline throughout seasons 2 through 4, with random additions along the way to accommodate our characters. So, while Brittany does canon stuff with the Others throughout all of season two, I'm stuck on a boat with Desmond for many chapters. This is before I ran out of things to do, but I was expecting Brittany to finish her part earlier so I could return to the island. Things do start to get better after this, though, because we were out of school and had more time to write. I don't even care if you review, it's so bad. It does have its moments, this chapter, but not many. I do urge you, however, to stick with the story, because, starting next chapter, the plot picks up.**

**Shiny Penny's Your Girl No Longer Matey (Tamara's Chapter)**

"Hey, Desmond?" Tamara whined.

"Hm?" Desmond asked in a bored voice.

"What would happen if I shot a fish?"

"_What?" _Desmond exclaimed.

"I'm _bored,_" Tamara whined.

"Find a way to entertain yourself," Desmond growled.

"Will you play with me?" Tamara moaned. Desmond glared at her. "Fine. What's your girlfriend's name?" she asked randomly.

"Penny," Desmond sighed wistfully.

"Oh, was she shiny?" Tamara asked.

"What's your problem?" Desmond sighed.

"I already told you," Tamara groaned.

"Why don't you fish?" Desmond offered.

"Ugh. I'm horrible at fishing," Tamara went to her jacket and randomly found a box of cars. "Do you want to play BS?"

Desmond laughed. "I'm afraid I don't know how to play."

"I'll teach you," Tamara offered. "Please," she begged. "I'm dying of boredom."

"Ok," Desmond relented. "How do you play?"

"Start with…two, I think. We go in order of the cards. If you don't have the card that goes next, lie about it. If I suspect you of lying or vice versa, say BS. If the person is right, the liar has to take all of the cards. If the person is wrong, they take the cards. First person to have no cars wins," Tamara explained.

"Makes sense," Desmond answered. They began to play. "So, why did you go to Italy just for McDonalds?"

"Um, it was only the fanciest McDonalds in the world!" Tamara replied, as though that was something everyone ought to know. "How did you arrive at the island?"

"I was in a solo race around the world. My boat crashed," Desmond replied.

"Impressive. _Why _were you going on a race around the world?" Tamara asked, laying down a card.

"I was trying to impress Penelope's father."

"How long ago was this?"

"Three years," Desmond replied.

"Three years is a long time. I don't think Penny is still your girlfriend. She probably thinks you're dead," Tamara laughed, not really caring that she may be breaking Desmond's heart.

Desmond glared at her. Tamara smirked.

"I know. I'm awesome."

"I was thinking more along the lines of pure evil."

"I could write a song," Tamara said. "'Shiny Penny's your girl no longer matey!' Still in the works, but when I finish it, I'll let you know."

"Why did you decide to come on this trip?" Desmond sighed wearily.

"Um, you invited me you loser. Anyway, I would've been lost and confused on that bloody island. I wonder where Brittany is," Tamara mused. "I hope she's not dead. That would totally suck."

"I'm afraid you should assume the worst," Desmond said sympathetically.

"Oh, I'll just start looking for a new best friend then. Hm, who to choose. So many options." Tamara turned to Desmond. "Would you like to be my best friend?"

"I already have a best friend."

"When did you last see him or her?" Tamara asked.

"About three years ago," Desmond replied.

"Who was the last person you had contact with that you would consider a friend?"

"This bloke named Kelvin," he answered.

"What happened to him?" Tamara asked.

"I killed him," Desmond replied.

"You know what? I've decided that you are so NOT best friend material!"

**I'll admit it. I still love that last line. Just that line though. Desmond and I could have been having a deep discussion there, but, instead, we play cards and gripe. Eventually, I start playing Sims. It's weird.**

**If you want a sneak peek at chapter four, which is much better than this chapter, check out our profile.**


	4. Benjamin Linus

**Chapter four, which is easy to type up because this is an e-mail, so I just have to get rid of the notes to each other and check the grammar. We meet some of our other favorite characters in this chapter including,**

**Chapter four: Benjamin Linus (Brittany's chapter)**

Brittany woke to the feeling of a wet cloth being pressed on her nose. Her eyes shot open, and focused in on a woman about her age, dabbing a cloth on her nose. "Sorry," she said quietly.

"Who are you?" Brittany gasped.

"I'm Juliet," she gave her a small smile and looked down at her arm. "Your arm is broken."

"I noticed," Brittany grimaced.

"I can only fix it up in a sling. We're low on medical supplies," she said sadly.

"Thanks anyway," Brittany mumbled.

"Your nose has stopped bleeding, but it's broken too." Brittany gave her a look of panic. "Don't worry, it isn't disfigured or anything. You must have fell on it head-on."

"I fell off of the pool table."

"That's kind of clumsy of you," Juliet smiled, trying not to offend.

"My life story."

They both turned to the door as it opened and a girl came in. She was in her teen years, with long black hair, and a beautiful complexion with high cheek bones, and blue eyes.

"Come in Alex, she won't lash out at you," Juliet said to her, standing up.

"I brought some food," she said quietly, holding out a sandwich and fries.

"Much appreciated, thank you Alex," Brittany grinned at her.

Alex grimaced back and slowly handed the food to her. Brittany took the food and began to stuff it into her mouth. "Boy, it's a good thing I'm left-handed," she said between bites.

"I need to get a sling. I'll be right back. You going to be okay?" Juliet asked Alex.

Alex nodded, watching Brittany. Juliet left and shut the door quietly behind her. They were silent while she ate, Brittany looking at her food, Alex watching her. "So, this is really good," Brittany said, trying to break the silence.

Alex looked indifferent. "My dad made it."

Brittany nodded. "Oh well, give my compliments to your dad."

Alex smirked, "I'm not sure you'll want me to do that."

"Why not?"

"He's the one who's currently keeping you prisoner."

Brittany almost choked. "Tom's your dad?"

Alex looked at her in confusion, "Tom? No, Ben. Why did you think Tom was my dad? Haven't you met Ben?"

"I thought Tom was the leader here. Who's Ben?"

"I'm Ben," a voice from the door announced.

Brittany turned and saw a man with black, spiky hair, wearing a blue striped shirt, and khaki pants with matching shoes. She gulped when she looked into his eyes; they were blue and intense. Everything seemed to be swallowed in darkness around her, all she could see was his eyes staring straight into her own.

The feeling disappeared, though, once she blinked and quickly looked behind him, where Juliet was standing, waiting for him to enter all the way. He turned to Juliet and opened the door for her, and shut it behind him. Alex took the empty plate from Brittany, and walked slowly out. "She wanted me to let you know that you're a good cook," she said quickly to Ben, before exiting.

Brittany blushed, and muttered under her breath, "Thank you Alex."

Juliet crouched in front of her again, and held out her hand. "I need you arm," she told her.

Brittany moved her arm painfully over to her, wincing with the effort. Juliet placed it in the sling, and strapped it in tightly. "There you are," she sighed.

"Thanks," Brittany whispered. She glanced at Ben, who was still staring intently at her, and summoned up courage to say something. "So, you're the one who's keeping me prisoner in here?" She blurted. "Although, after that delicious sandwich, I don't really mind," she added.

Ben gave her a half-smile, and uncrossed his arms across his chest. He held out his left hand. "My name is Benjamin Linus."

"Brittany, though I'm sure you've already heard." She shook his hand.

He retracted his hand. "That I have. A very interesting story it turned out to be." He leant back against the pool table, watching her closely.

"I'm not surprised you don't believe it. I know I wouldn't. I mean, two girls rowing to Russia just to see if they have an IHOP? Very unlikely," Brittany laughed.

"So, you don't believe your own story?"

"No, I do. I was there, I'm just saying that if I were you, I wouldn't believe it."

"Why IHOP?" he asked.

"My friend and I love pancakes, so since IHOP stands for International House of Pancakes, we wanted to see if there were any in Russia. We're traveling the world, see? We went to Italy to go to Rome, and ate at the fanciest McDonalds in the world. Then, we went to Paris, and had coffee at all of the eight-thousand cafes. Yes, I know we sound insane, but we have a strange sense of humor," Brittany explained, noticing the look of disbelief on his face.

"Very strange indeed," Ben agreed. "Where is your friend?"

Brittany shrugged, "I don't know. Tom said that she wasn't there when went to get her. She's probably lost in the jungle somewhere, bloody damsel in distress that she is."

"Tom says that she won't come to look for you," Ben looked at her curiously.

Brittany shook her head. "No, not Tamara. The only way she'd find me is if she stumbled upon this place. No, she's probably dead. It's our first time being stranded on a mysterious island."

Ben gave a short chuckle. Juliet looked at him sharply, but returned her gaze to Brittany. "If you need any pain medicine, let me know," she told her, and quickly left.

Brittany focused her full attention on Ben, who was back to staring at her intently. "So," she began, "what's going to happen to me?"

"You're not with the plane survivors, so you're no immediate threat. However, you are on our island, so something must be done. You can't leave now. You'll have to live here, with us, forever."

Brittany looked at him in exasperation. "Forever! As in, never seeing my family ever again?"

Ben seemed to be annoyed by her reluctance to live on the island. He rolled his eyes, and asked, almost as if to himself, "why does everyone hate it here? It's as if they enjoy the hectic lives they left behind! Tell me," he said to her, "what is so special there, that you can't have here?"

"I. . .well . . . a shower!" she shouted, finally thinking of something.

"Taken care of, next?"

"Movies!"

"Our selection is limited, but we can always order more."

"Video games."

He gestured around him. "You're in an arcade."

"Oh," she thought some more, then came up with the perfect answer. "Freedom," she sneered.

He stared at her blankly, then smirked. "Very good, Brittany. Look, I'll I'm asking for is your cooperation. You do that, and we'll all get along fine. I'll even let you roam around without a guard."

"Seriously?" He nodded. Brittany nodded too, "alright, you have my cooperation."

"Great! Now, what do you know about children?" he asked.

"I know that most of them our evil, tantrum-filled, spoiled, little freaks," she spat.

He smirked at her again, "you don't like children, then?"

"Only the well-behaved ones," Brittany sniffed.

"We need someone who's good with children, we have one on our premises, and well, he's not exactly warming up to us. Since you're not technically with us, he may trust you."

"What's his name?"

Ben half-smiled, "Walt."

**For the record, Brittany remarks on how clumsy she is in this chapter. In real life, Brittany is not clumsy at all. I am the klutz in our friendship. I have no coordination at all except when it comes to video games. So, we pick up with Tamara and Desmond on Saturday. I should've mentioned that I was posting early because I'm home sick. As always, a preview for chapter five is on our profile.**


	5. A Pirate's Life For Me

**So, don't get over excited by the end of this chapter. It doesn't mean what you think it means. I just had nothing to do with my character, so I did this.**

**A Pirate's Life For Me (Tamara's Chapter)**

Tamara was bored out of her mind. She desperately wished Brittany was here to talk to her, even if it was about IHOP, or the wonderful cloud shapes, or the weather, or something, because, frankly, Desmond really sucked as a best friend. All he did was drink and drink, or sing badly (once Tamara had caught him singing "A Pirates' Life For Me).

"Desmond," She groaned, "weren't we supposed to be in Fiji by now?"

Desmond's response was, "Anytime love, anytime."

"But-" Tamara began, but then she stopped. What was the use? They were going to die at sea, or get lost. _Probably both, _Tamara thought to herself.

Time passed on the sea. The minutes seemed like hours, and the hours seemed like days. Tamara, who was ever the pessimist, was quite sure they would starve to death. She was also quite sure that no one would know. Not even the people of Fiji, because _they weren't in Fiji! _

"I don't understand it," Desmond said during one of his sober moments. "We left, and we should have been in Fiji in less than a week. It's been a week and a half."

"Are we going to die, Desmond?" Tamara asked quietly. Desmond didn't answer.

* * *

Life carried on in that dull time. Tamara was getting bored, simply staring out at the vast emptiness that was the Pacific, or whatever ocean they were in. She was never one for Geography class, which perplexed Desmond, because how could a girl who's been to Rome, Paris, and was sailing in a row boat to Russia not know what ocean they were in? Then again, that was probably why they crashed.

Tamara was below decks, rummaging for the Dharma booze; Desmond was no fun to talk to whilst drunk, so Tamara planned on dumping it overboard. However, instead of finding what she was seeking, she found the coolest thing since sliced bread: a telescope.

"Cool!" She exclaimed, then she rushed on deck to show Desmond her discovery. Desmond could care less, but Tamara had once again, found her inner pirate. She curiously wondered what else was hidden below decks, so for the first time she spent a day below deck, rummaging through Desmond's belongings and pretty much everything else. She found a can of white primer, which fit, she supposed, since Desmond's boat (Elisabeth) was white. She also found blankets, which she wouldn't be using anytime soon, and some fishing line, which she also wouldn't be using anytime soon. Maybe Desmond would. In her search, Tamara also came across more alcohol, and this time, it wasn't that strange Dharma brand. It was her all time favorite type: Captain Morgan.

She remembered with some sorrow, and some giddy pleasure, the time when she and Brittany had a long last reached twenty-one. They had bought spiced rum. The brands were Barbarossa and Captain Morgan. They had changed the names to Barbossa and Captain Sparrow, and instead of consuming the alcohol, had put cut-outs of Geoffrey Rush and Johnny Depp on the bottles, and given them plastic swords and guns and had had rum wars. They never did consume the alcohol; spiced rum, beer, wine, and all other alcoholic beverages were incredibly gross. However, Tamara opened the bottle and took a long swig. At that moment, nothing in the world had ever tasted more wonderful. No doubt it was because she had had nothing to drink all day.

Desmond came down in order to replenish his Dharma supply. Tamara hastily hid the bottle of rum and demanded to know what gave Desmond to be down here, despite the fact that it was his bloody ship, as Desmond said. Tamara's response was merely, "_Ship?!" _

"I forgot," Tamara said some hours later as the sun set, "can telescopes do that thing magnifying glasses do? You know, burn stuff?"

"How the bloody hell should I know?" Desmond demanded.

"Because you are the epitome of Jesus," Tamara said sardonically.

Tamara was searching, some hours later, for her black shirt, which she had never put back on. A random idea had popped into her head, and she was itching to do it. At last, she found it (cushioning one of Desmond's beer bottles). She took the can of white primer and a pen, which she realized was incredibly stupid, but it made her feel smart. Carefully, she drew a design on both sides of the shirt and then painted it on with the white primer. She took the fishing line and attached the shirt by the sleeves to the mast.

"What the-" Desmond gasped as he saw what his scurvy shipmate had done. "You didn't…"

"Don't even think of taking it down," Tamara snapped, referring to the skull and cross swords symbol that matched the tattoo on her lower back (except it was smaller).

"We're not pirates!" Desmond cried, exasperated.

"Really? I don't see how not being pirates fits into the equation," Tamara replied. "We've got the alcohol, the guns, the being hungry enough to pillage, the boat, the alcohol, and now we even have a flag."

"You said alcohol twice," Desmond pointed out. "I'm taking the bloody thing down," He moved to cut the line, but Tamara stopped him and stuck the knife in the one place she knew he would reach it: her back pocket.

"I'm noticing everything you do revolves around pirates," Desmond said, feeling defeated. "You've got skull and cross swords in the air and on your back. You have a skull and cross bones on your bikini top, and I'm sure you eat Pirates of the Caribbean cereal."

"Hmph," Tamara huffed. Desmond was right of course. Tamara pulled out the telescope and searched the vast ocean in vain. Something caught her eye. She showed Desmond.

"Bloody hell," he whispered.

They'd finally found land.

**Well, we're getting closer to the end of the not exciting chapters. Understand that this story began shortly after the third **_**Pirates **_**movie came out, and I had a huge obsession with it at the time. **

**Preview of chapter six on our profile.**


	6. Walt

**Not many notes on this chapter. Just…read it. We're getting out of the not so crappy part now. Well, until my next chapter, because I did, in fact, run out of things to do…hee. Edit: This chapter got fucked up, so it's randomly centered. I'll try to fix it, and I'll replace it tomorrow.**

**Walt (Brittany's Chapter)**

"Erm. . .you see, here's the thing, I'm not the greatest around children," Brittany admitted.

"No problem, he probably won't talk to you anyway. He doesn't like us, so I doubt he'll warm up to you," Ben shrugged.

"Hey now, I could take that as an insult. I didn't say children didn't like me, they usually do, I just don't like them."

Ben smirked, "I doubt you could get a sentence out of him."

"Do you want to bet on that?" Brittany prompted.

"I'm not a gambling sort of person, but, why not? If you can make Walt trust you, then I'll give you permission to roam freely around the island."

"And if I don't?"

"Then you'll work for us."

"Deal," Brittany shook his hand, and stood up. "When do I get to meet him?"

"Eager? That's good. Bea will take you to him. Oh, here's your bag that Tom picked up when he carried you here. We didn't take anything out of it," Ben handed her backpack to her, which was sagging, and had holes in it.

"YES!! MY MUSIC!!!" she cried, taking out her MP3, which had somehow survived the trip.

"You're very enthusiastic about music," Ben stated.

"You have no idea," she gasped. "Oh, but Sherlock Holmes is somewhat damaged," she said sadly. She took out a book that had some of the pages missing, as well as water damage.

"Sherlock Holmes? A very good read, and some of Shakespeare as well I see. I'm not sure about your musical interests, but you do have good taste in books," Ben complimented, looking through some of her books.

"Thanks, but I'll probably be book-deprived now though," she said mournfully.

"On the contrary, each of us have our own private collection of literary works. If you run out, please tell me, I have many that I'm sure you'll be interested in reading," Ben told her.

"Now, where's this Bea? I can't wait to prove you wrong," Brittany laughed evilly.

Ben walked over to the door, and opened it, "Bea? Will you come in please?"

An African American woman walked in, wearing tattered clothes, and a cloth around her hair. She had high cheekbones, and was quite skinny. "Forgive my appearance, I was just at the fake village," she told them humbly. "I'm Bea," she nodded to Brittany.

"Hey, I'm Brittany," she greeted back.

"She and I have a bet going on, and I'll leave it to you to be the judge of who wins," Ben smiled.

"Hey! That's not fair, you're her boss, so obviously she's going to choose you," Brittany protested.

"Actually Brittany, I'm a very fair person, and I won't be swayed from one side to the next, no matter what my position," Bea said sternly.

"Satisfied?" Ben asked her.

"Alright, where's Walt?"

"Follow me," Bea gestured, and Brittany obliged.

"Good luck," Ben whispered to her as she passed. She winked at him, and continued on her way.

"So, why the getup?" she asked Bea, when they had moved on.

"To disillusion our enemies," she answered simply.

"Oh," Brittany replied. The conversation ended there, Bea wasn't a very big talker. So, Brittany looked around her surroundings instead. They were in a village of sort. Identical houses lined stony paths, with little gardens and grills out in front. A gazebo could be seen far off, white, and peaceful looking. It was early morning, and the sun was just rising over the trees, which surrounded the village. People were lining the path that they were walking on, all of them staring at Brittany.

"Um, hello," she waved to them.

They were silent, all except Alex, who was standing by a boy her age, they were holding hands. "Hey," she whispered to her.

Brittany smiled at her, and wondered who the boy was. She shrugged it off though, and followed Bea, silent, and aware of the calculating eyes.

Bea led her to a house where a man was standing outside the door, a gun in his hand. "Brittany's here to see Walt," Bea told the man.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? She may be one of them," he growled, looking at Brittany with hatred.

"Ben's letting her, Danny, so move," Bea said a little more sharply.

He glared at Brittany, but moved nonetheless. _'Right, don't like him,'_ Brittany thought, stepping through the open door.

"Tell me when you're done," Bea smiled at her, and closed the door when Brittany had gone all the way in.

The room was pitched dark, except for a single lamp which was on a short table. "Hello?" she called.

When no answer came, she began to search for a light switch. Finding one, she flipped it, and squinted when a bright light tore through the darkness. She found a small, African American boy crouching on the floor beside a bed. He looked at her in fear, and crunched up into a ball.

"You're Walt?" she asked.

He nodded slowly, and looked at her again. "I'm Brittany," she announced.

He just stared at her, shaking from the fear. "Right, Ben said you wouldn't talk much." Sighing, she walked over to him, and pointed to the bed. "May I sit here?" He nodded, and moved away from her.

She sat and looked at him. "So, how long have you been here?"

He looked at her curiously, "you should know."

Brittany blinked in confusion, "how? I only just got here."

He grimaced at her, "of course you did," he said in disbelief.

"I did!" She retorted in escalation. "My friend and I were rowing to Russia, and we crashed on this island."

"Nice try, but I don't believe you," he muttered.

"Well, how else do you think I broke my arm and nose?"

"I don't know, you probably did something stupid, like fall off of a pool table or something," he glared.

"Damn it!" she muttered. "Look, I made a deal with the leader of these people, if I can get you to trust me, then I can have freedom. So, I'll be damned if you be a snobbish pansy and don't work with me!"

His eyes widened, "that man? The one with the spiky hair?"

"Yeah, what about him?"

"He scares me," he whispered.

Brittany looked down at him in pity, and replied, "he's actually an okay guy. Well, at least he was for the five minutes I've known him. Plus, he makes wonderful sandwiches, have you had one?"

He nodded bitterly, "yes, I've eaten there food."

"Why so bitter?"

"They kidnapped me!"

Brittany stared at him in shock, "what?!"

"That man, Tom, he took me right off of the raft that I was on with my dad, and took me away!" Walt shouted angrily, tears began to well up in his eyes, threatening to spill over.

"Oh god, don't cry, if you do, then I will, then we'll both be sitting here, crying! I'm sorry to hear that, but they must have had a reason. Was your dad abusive?"

He shook his head, "no, I don't know why, but they've been doing these weird tests on me. They test my memory, and take some of my blood, but they don't tell me what they're testing for!"

"Are you sick?"

"I don't think so, I feel fine," he answered, looking over himself.

"Oh, well then don't worry, you're bound to be taken back to your dad soon enough. What about your mom?"

Walt looked away, "she's dead, that's why I'm with my dad."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said sincerely. A thought struck her then. She would never see her mother or father again either! Tears began to form at the edge of her eyes, and she sobbed into her hands.

She heard Walt stand up and walk over to her. "What's wrong?" he asked gingerly, placing a hand on her back.

"I've just realized that I'll never see my family again," she cried. Walt began to tear up again, and this time he let the tears fall. "Come here," she sobbed. Walt collapsed into her arms, and they hugged each other, crying their hearts out.

Meanwhile, outside, Bea watched the spectacle inside from the window with amusement. Ben approached her quietly. "So, how's she doing? Is he talking to her?" he asked.

Bea looked at him, a smirk on her face. "I think you lost the bet."

His face paled, "what?"

She shrugged, "look for yourself." She moved over, and grinned at the expression on his face when he beheld what was going on inside.

"Impossible, she wasn't even in there that long!" he exclaimed.

"Well, apparently, time wasn't an issue," Bea stifled her laughter at the look of astonishment and disbelief on his face.

"I can't believe I lost," he murmured, running a hand through his hair. He sighed, and composed himself, "I suppose we ought to tell her she won," he whispered.

"Not now, Walt will think she was using him. No, wait until she leaves," Bea pointed out.

Still somewhat stunned, he said, "fine," and left the area, head still raised high, but Bea knew he was puzzling over how he had lost.

Back inside, Brittany dried her eyes, and released Walt. "Boy, I haven't cried like that since I saw _The Phantom of the Opera_, a very depressing movie/play/book."

Walt sobered quickly, and was in a cheerful mood now that he had someone who was just like him. "So, you were really rowing across the ocean?" he asked excitedly.

She smiled at him, she liked Walt, he was okay for a kid, "I really was."

"That's so cool! I wish my dad and me could do that sometime."

Brittany laughed, "trust me, you don't want to, it causes really bad back pains."

"How long have _you_ been here?" he asked next.

"A day at most, I've just got here myself. You?"

"I don't know, it feels like months, but it can't be that long. They're going to kill me."

"What? No there not," Brittany argued.

"Yes they will, that one guy, Ethan, he was going to kill Charlie. But Charlie shot him, so he's gone now."

"I'm sure that Ethan was really going to kill Charlie, he must have had a reason. These people seem nice, a little judgmental perhaps, even overly cautious, but they must have their reasons."

"You won't let anything happen to me? Will you Brittany?" he asked her.

Brittany gulped, but smiled sweetly at him, "no, I won't."

He smiled in relief, and lied down on the bed. "I'm tired, so I'm going to sleep. See you soon, I hope?"

"Of course, I'll do my best," she promised. Brittany got up, and walked over to the door. "Goodnight Walt."

"G'night!"

She left the house, and shut the door quietly behind her. Bea approached her, smiling, "Ben's waiting for you in the arcade."

"Right-o, I'll just be on my way then. Erm. . ." Brittany stared at all the cris-crossing paths, and tried to decide on which one to take.

"That one," Bea pointed, reading her mind.

"Thanks," she said quickly, walking down the indicated path.

The sun had almost reached the top of the trees, and the people she had seen earlier were all doing yard work before it got too hot.

"Hey!" someone called out to her.

Brittany stopped and turned, Alex ran up to her with the mysterious boy in tow. "Hello Alex," she smiled.

"This is Karl," she introduced.

"Brittany," he shook her hand.

"Ah, young lovers, how sweet," she murmured.

They blushed, and walked with her down the rest of the path. "No offense or anything, but the people here seem to be a bit. . .stiff," she admitted.

They laughed, Karl spoke up, "they're like that when you first get to meet them. They'll lighten up eventually, besides, Ben seems to like you, so that's a plus." He seemed to be a little envious of that statement, but calmed when Alex stroked his arm comfortingly.

"Did Walt talk to you? I haven't been able to see him yet," Alex said.

"Yes, Walt and I are quite good friends now. Say, why is here anyways? He told me that you guys were testing his blood and stuff, is he sick?" Brittany asked.

Karl shrugged, "we don't know."

"My father doesn't let us participate in these kind of things," Alex explained.

"Hmm. . . well, thanks for talking to me, I'm off to see your father!" Brittany told them when they had reached the arcade.

"Oh, alright, bye then," Karl waved, and they left back where they had come from.

Brittany opened the arcade door, and found Ben playing pool by himself. "Welcome back," he grunted, hitting the white ball and watching it as it made two of the solid colored balls roll into the holes.

"Nice shot!" she exclaimed, grabbing a cue and joining him. "The accursed pool table," she muttered bitterly as she touched it.

"Are you sure you should be playing?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I'm fine, I'm left-handed," she took the cue in her left hand, and hit the white ball. While she was aiming for a striped purple one, she instead hit the white ball straight into a hole. "Did I mention that it's been awhile?" she said bashfully.

Ben smirked, and took his turn, resulting in getting another solid colored ball into a hole. "So, you won the bet under fifteen minutes," he announced.

"Seriously? Wow, all I had to do was cry with the kid," Brittany mumbled to herself.

"I'm afraid so. I don't lose usually, so excuse me if I seem ungrateful."

"No problem, besides, you're smoking me in pool," she said.

He looked down at the table, "true. Well then, as agreed you get to travel the island freely. No strings attached."

"That's nice," she took her shot, and was able to just get one in.

"However, I must warn you that the other people on this island will most surely kill you if they should discover you've been with us. That has been the result of the two who have gone over there to collect information. Also," he shot again and sank another ball, "there are boars, polar bears, and other such dangerous creatures on this island. So, take care."

"Polar bears?"

"Yes, they were part of a research and experimental group that died awhile back. Now they wander the island freely." He hit the eight ball in, and smiled in triumph. "I won."

"So you did," Brittany replied, humoring him.

"Perhaps we'll play again when your arm is healed," he offered.

"Sounds good."

"Though I'll beat you again anyway," he playfully said.

"We'll just see about that," she smiled.

He hung up his cue tip, and turned to her, a business look on his face. "I'm leaving in a few hours to their camp."

"Why?"

He cringed at the question, "it's a personal issue."

"Well, alright, I'll come with you."

"What? No, I wasn't offering for you to come with me," he said quickly.

"Bleh, whatever. I don't have anything else better to do. You, Juliet, Alex, Bea, and now Karl are the only ones who I've talked to. Everyone else is either scared of me, or hate me."

"They don't hate you, they're just cautious."

"Whatever, it doesn't matter what you say, because I have free movement around the island, remember? And if I just so happen to follow you wherever you go, you can't stop me, so ha!"

Ben groaned quietly, "since I can't stop you, and you'll just stalk me anyways, I guess you can accompany me."

"Yayness!" she rooted.

"I don't see why you want to come though, it's much more safer here. If they suspect us, then there's a very good chance we'll be killed."

"Sheesh, don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll talk them out of it. I'm in need of some adventure, and maybe I'll find Tamara wandering around the jungle aimlessly. Ha! The perfect plan!" she said gleefully.

Ben rolled his eyes, "we're leaving soon, make sure you're ready."

"Aye-aye, Captain!" she mocked saluted him.

He stared at her in wonder, and then left, pondering over her strange behavior. Juliet walked in not long after he had left, and handed her some Aleve. "For the pain, though your arm should heal pretty quickly."

"Why?" she asked, taking the medication.

"This island has healing properties most unlike that of anything I've ever seen. Horrible wounds and injuries heal in days, when on a normal island it may take weeks or months. It's a very special place."

Brittany looked at her closely, she could tell that Juliet was most unhappy about being here. "And yet you want to go home."

Juliet nodded, looking wearily down at the floor. "I was recruited here to help with the fertility problem here. You see, all the women who try to have babies, die in their second trimester. I was brought to try and solve the problem, but it's impossible. I keep trying to tell Ben that, but he won't understand. I've been here for three years, all I want is to go home, and see my sister, and her new son."

Juliet looked almost like she was about to break down. "Oh no, don't you cry too! I'm done with the waterworks today!"

Juliet smiled up at her, wiping the tears away. "I don't know you very well Brittany, but I hope that I can."

"Me too, well I mean, I hope to get to know you well, I already know everything there is to about me," she joked. "Thanks for the Aleve."

Juliet nodded, and left.

Yawning, Brittany spread herself out on the couch. "If I'm going to be walking around the jungle all day, I'd better get some sleep." She yawned once more, and then was out like a light.

* * *

"Psst. . .Psst," someone hissed.

"No, I don't have your wallet," Brittany slurred, waking up. She focused on a dark figure crouching inches away from her. The figure's face came into view, and she lurched back when Ben came into her vision.

"Ben!" she gasped, "bloody hell!"

He looked at her unblinking, "it's time to go," he whispered.

"Alright, twenty more minutes," she yawned, turning over on the couch.

She heard him sigh in agitation. He poked her in the ribs, which resulted in her yelping, and rolling off the couch. Luckily, she didn't land on her broken arm.

"Now," he said with authority.

She gulped, he was a little scary when irritated, and serious. "Right." She got up, and noticed that he was out of his striped shirt, and was wearing an orange shirt with a green jacket. "Ben, you know that totally clashes right?"

He looked at himself, "yes, it makes me look humble, and pitiful."

"M'okay," Brittany shrugged. She walked out of the arcade, Ben close behind her. "Well then, you lead the way, I have no idea where we are."

He smirked, and took the lead, nodding his head at those who passed them by. She followed suit, nodding at those they passed by also; however, instead of nodding at her in return, they just stared.

They left the village, a crowd watching them leave. "So, are you going to tell me why we're going to their camp now?"

"I told you, it's personal," he said without looking at her.

"Alright, well then, what's our alibi?"

"Excuse me?"

"What's our story? I mean it would look pretty silly if we told people different stories."

"I'll tell you when I think of one," he said.

They continued on in silence, Brittany occasionally humming a merry tune. After walking all day, they stopped for a rest as the sun went down. "Don't get too comfortable, we're leaving again soon. I want to get there before dawn," Ben told her, sitting down and grabbing a drink.

"In the dark? Are you sure that's safe?" Brittany asked, uneasy with the idea.

"Just go along with me, alright?" he asked, irritably.

"Fine," Brittany sulked. For being such a good cook, he was poor company. He was lost in his thoughts way too much, and hardly spoke a word to her the entire trip. Still, she had insisted on going with him, and she wasn't going to back down now.

"Alright, let's go," he got up with ease, while Brittany had to heave herself to her legs once more.

"Do you never get tired?" she asked him, incredulous.

"Actually, I'm always tired Brittany," he said quietly. He looked at her, and she noticed for the first time how weary he looked. His eyes usually so intense and piercing, were now dull and had pain in them.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied. Looking ahead, she noticed something strange on the ground. "What's that?" She kneeled down by it, and looked at it. "Come over here with your torch," she said to Ben.

He walked over, and crouched too. A baby bottle was on the ground, empty though it was, it intrigued Brittany. "That's weird," she whispered, lifting it up.

Ben suddenly grabbed her arm, "don't," he warned.

"Why no-" she was cut off when they were suddenly hanging in a net, by a tree.

"That's why," Ben wheezed.

"Shit."

**Brittany's exact comment at the end of the e-mail this was enclosed in: Hee! I swore! **

**Lol. Don't get too attached to Walt. He shows up, like, two more times. At the **_**very **_**end. And don't get too attached to Alex, either, because we follow the show pretty closely, once we hit season three, and we follow season four, then just throw in a random battle in place of season five.**

**There is a preview of the next chapter on our profile. **


	7. Up is Down, Left is Right

**Early chapter, because I'm home sick.**

**Up is Down, Left is Right, View of an Old Face**

Tamara peered through the telescope. "Hey Desmond, we're almost there," She called. Desmond twiddled the wheel as the boat came to shore.

"You think?" He asked sarcastically.

"No one likes a kiss ass," Tamara said cheekily, jumping down to the beach. It was night time, and the moon shone brightly, but not brightly enough to give them any idea where they were.

"Oh no," Desmond groaned.

"What?" Tamara asked fearfully.

Desmond picked up a piece of driftwood and handed it to Tamara. Tamara raised it to her eyes in order to see it properly. She swore violently as she read the lettering: S.S Black Pearl. "So, either the Pearl ended up in Fiji, or _someone, _said that he could navigate the goddamn boat, when truthfully, he couldn't!" Tamara was angry, and rightfully so.

"It's this bloody island! We are stuck in a bloody SNOWGLOBE!" Desmond exclaimed desperately.

"Oh _sure! _Blame the island for all your problems!" Tamara snarled.

"I propose we stay here for tonight. Tomorrow, we can replenish our water supply, and then we can set sail…again," Desmond said wearily.

Tamara put her hands on her hips. "Since I happen to be the only one present who _hasn't _gotten us lost and/or totally screwed for life, _I'll _be making all the decisions from now on! We shall stay here tonight. Tomorrow, we shall replenish our water supply and then we shall set sail for _Russia!_"

Desmond rolled his eyes, then dared to ask, "Why Russia?"

"_Because, _you and I are taking a trip to IHOP. And then maybe I'll hand you over to the Mafia for pure stupidity."

"I love you too," Desmond grumbled. Tamara stuck her tongue out at him.

The next day, Tamara was woken by Desmond. "We have to hurry. The hostiles will find us."

"I'm confused. We have to hurry, _before _the hostiles find us, or we have to hurry, and then the bloody hostiles will find us no matter what? If that's the case, then I'm not moving," Tamara declared.

Desmond solved that problem by hauling Tamara to her feet. Tamara suddenly decided to ask (after a week and a half of knowing the guy), "What the hell are you wearing?"

"Something those Dharma Initiative people wore. Their little uniform or something," Desmond said.

"Who _are _the Dharma initiative?"

"I don't know. They're all dead, whoever they are," Desmond said as they started their journey. That was a conversation ender.

Several hours later, and the fantastic two had still had no luck in their water search. "How hard can it be to find water on a bloody deserted island?!" Tamara demanded.

"If it's deserted, then who's that?" Desmond asked, suddenly on his guard.

"I don't see anyone," Tamara said, or began to say before Desmond covered her mouth with his hand.

Now that Tamara had been shushed, she could also hear a male voice calling desperately, "Help! Help me! Help! HEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLP!"

"Someone's in need of help," Tamara deduced wisely.

"Yeah, well, they won't be getting it from us," Desmond whispered. Tamara wasn't listening; she had wandered towards the voice, and she was calling out tentatively. The voice responded to her voice. Tamara broke into a run. Desmond followed her, cursing.

Tamara came to an abrupt halt in the middle of a clearing. There were two people caught in a net. The only one she could see clearly was a man in an orange shirt. A very BRIGHT orange shirt. "Do I want to know?" She asked, taking out the knife she kept from Desmond. She began to hastily cut the rope, but she didn't get very far, because Desmond came up behind her.

"What are you doing?" He asked. "Don't let them go!"

"What do you mean 'don't let us go'?!" A female voice demanded.

Tamara moved to get a better look at the odd couple in the net. What she saw surprised her. "Brittany?" She asked.

"Tamara?" Brittany said incredulously. "Help us."

Tamara moved to cut the rope, but Desmond grabbed her hand. "Don't! She may be your friend, but one: the man she's with is a hostile, and two: I really don't want _another _one of you roaming around. I'll go insane."

Tamara frowned, close to tears. Desmond didn't let go of her though, so Tamara turned back to Brittany, who was staring at her in astonishment. "I can't. I'm really sorry, but I can't. I don't know what's happened to you. You may kill us, and I prefer living. Good bye."

The two of them turned away. As they turned back at the edge of the clearing, they were faced with a shock. Brittany and the loser in the orange shirt were no longer there. Nor was the net. "What-" Desmond began.

"…The hell…" Tamara finished.

"I've told you this island was strange and dangerous. Let's go," Desmond whispered. He led Tamara away, as though he was suddenly in a great hurry. They didn't get very far however.

They were stopped by a heavy set man. "Well, what do we have here?"

"Is this a hallucination?" Tamara asked Desmond quietly.

"I don't think so," Desmond was taking the pistol out of the back of Tamara's shorts very slowly. He pointed it at the man and fired. The man yelled in pain as the bullet hit his shoulder. "Very real," Desmond confirmed.

Together, Tamara and Desmond ran as fast as they could, although they could hear gunshots behind them. Desmond obviously hadn't seriously wounded the man. They ran back to the boat. "What about water?" Tamara asked.

"We'll have to make do with our beer," Desmond said. "We still have a bit of water. We'll ration it, or something."

Tamara clambered onto the boat and made hasty preparations to leave, while Desmond pushed the boat into the water. Tamara helped him up as a group of people (including the wounded man) showed up on the beach and shot at them in vain.

Tamara and Desmond had set sail, not caring where they ended up. As long as they saw no more hallucinations, men with guns, or men in orange shirts.

**Yeah, I really don't know**


	8. Jennifer and Henry

**I promised two chapters last week, but only delivered one. So, two chapters this week. This is Brittany's chapter. By the way, I normally write much longer author's notes, but since I'm not typing these right now, you only get short things.**

**Chapter 8: Jennifer and Henry**

"Such language is not needed on this island," Ben scolded her.

"Sorry, but we're bloody stuck in a _net," _Brittany snarled, pushing back on the net.

They arranged themselves so they were facing each other, their faces inches apart. "Well, I did tell you not to touch the bottle," Ben blamed.

"Oh, so this is _my _fault? Maybe if you hadn't insisted on going on in the dark, I would have gotten sleep and known not to touch it!" she threw back.

"You're seriously not trying to pin this on me, are you?" Ben sneered, glaring at her.

"Yes, and I did," Brittany huffed, doing her best to cross her arms in front of her in defiance.

"You're worse than Alex," Ben mumbled.

"Good," Brittany sniffed.

"Look," Ben sighed, controlling his anger and annoyance, "we're not going to get out of here by arguing with one another."

"Then what do you propose we do?" Brittany asked, still mad at him.

"Help! Help me! Help! HEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLP!" he began shouting.

"Ouch, I had no idea you could be so loud," Brittany winced, covering her ears.

"Only in times of trouble. Danny was supposed to be scouting this part of the island. If we can get him to hear us, he can release us from our. . . predicament," Ben said carefully.

"Danny? He doesn't like me very much," Brittany stated.

Ben glanced at her, "he doesn't like anyone very much."

A snap of a twig brought their attention outside of the net. "Someone's here," Ben whispered to her. "I've never seen them before."

"Well I can't see them, your ugly orange shirt is blinding me!" Brittany hissed back.

"Do I want to know?" a curiously familiar female voice asked. Brittany tried to swing the net around to see who it was, but to no avail.

Another voice cut-in, a deep, Scottish voice said urgently, "what are you doing? Don't let them go!"

Brittany, feeling very alarmed indeed, asked frantically, "what do you mean 'don't let us go?"

She heard someone move, and gaped when she saw Tamara on the outside of the net. Behind her a tan, wild-haired, rugged man with a curious uniform watched her warily. "Brittany?" Tamara asked.

"Tamara?" she asked in disbelief. Then a happy feeling overtook her, Tamara was alive! "Help us!"

Tamara was about to cut the rope, when the man stopped her. Brittany had a growing feeling of dislike for this man. "Don't! She may be your friend, but one: the man she's with is a hostile, and two: I really don't want _another _one of you roaming around. I'll go insane."

Brittany glanced at Ben, who was staring at the man, an unreadable expression on his face. _'Ben, a hostile? That's funny,' _Brittany laughed to herself.

She looked back at Tamara, and was astonished to see her in tears. "I can't. I'm really sorry, but I can't. I don't know what's happened to you. You may kill us, and I prefer living. Good bye."

She and the guy ran off, leaving Ben and her still in the net. Suddenly they disappeared from sight. "What happened?"

Ben shrugged, "it's the island," he replied nonchalantly.

"Hello?! How can you be so calm?! We're stuck here! My friend just left us here to die, and she just disappeared from sight! How is this not affecting you?!" Brittany shouted.

"Females, they just can't control their emotions," Ben smirked, as if he was talking to himself.

Brittany grit her teeth in frustration and anger, and pushed him; however, instead of falling to the ground as he would have done if he were on the ground, the net began to swing back and forth.

"I decided that I don't like you very much right now, Ben," Brittany declared quietly, turning around to her best ability.

"I'm not surprised. Not that many people do," he said quietly also, almost sadly.

"Tamara!" Brittany yelled. "I'm not letting you borrow my Harry Potter video game for this!"

She slumped to the ground as best she could, and said nothing else. She felt Ben sit behind her, his kneecap pressing against her spine. After taking a few moments to get back in control of her feelings, she turned to Ben. He was sitting with his eyes closed in concentration. She leaned in, and stuck her tongue at him, making a funny face. With no response, she concluded that he was meditating.

Sighing, she turned the rest of her body in order to face him, and leaned back against the net walls. His eyes snapped open, and he stared at her. Once again, as when she had first met him, she was absorbed by his eyes. The trance ended however, when he blinked and looked out of the net. "It's about noon," he whispered, looking at the sun.

"Wonderful," Brittany rolled her eyes. She noticed that Ben was smiling strangely, and was somewhat laughing. "What's so funny?" she asked, beginning to laugh herself. She always started laughing when someone else was, it was a curse.

"It's just. . . this is the first time I've been caught in a net with a woman before," he admitted.

"So, you've been caught in one with a man, then?"

"No, the whole experience is new to me."

"Well, don't be getting any ideas, I hardly know you," she teased.

He stopped chucking then, and his mirth faded. "I would never take advantage of a woman. What kind of man do you take me for?" he asked, offended.

"Whoa, no need to be offended. I was just joking around, sheesh. Relax Ben, take some deep breaths, try some yoga. Though, don't try it in here, it could get a little painful."

"Your friend, Tamara, she's very devoted to that Scottish man," Ben pointed out.

"Yeah," was all Brittany said.

"I wonder why. She left you, her only friend out here, caught in a net with a man she hardly knows. She puts a lot of faith in his decisions."

"Are you trying to tell me something, Ben?" Brittany asked.

"Only that maybe we should start trusting one another."

Brittany looked at him, he was staring right back at her, expressionless as always. "Alright," she sighed, "what else can I do?"

Ben smiled, pleased with her answer. "Could you possibly move your foot? It's prodding my ribs."

"Oh, sure thing," she replied, moving her foot.

"Thanks," he said in relief.

"So, why did the Scottish guy call you a hostile?"

Ben cleared his throat, and paused, thinking of what to say. "I'm not sure how he knows about me, or us, but it seems that he's been on this island for quite a long time. He was probably one of the people to push a button on this island. His partner must have told him all of the tales of the island, which are all exaggerated."

"So, why then hostile?"

Ben paused again, "awhile back, a group of people who belonged to an experiment company known as the Dharma Initiative, came to this island. They were experimenting on a number of things, but they could never make peace with the people who had originally lived here. As you can imagine, battles broke out, and people were hurt. One day a massive purge took place, and the original inhabitants were able to live peacefully once again. Now, new people have emerged on this island, and hear the old stories, and think us the evil ones. But tell me Brittany, how are we evil when all we want is peace, and quiet?"

She looked down, unable to answer. Ben suddenly perked up. "HELP!" he shouted.

"What is it?" Brittany asked, standing up too.

"I heard someone," he told her. "Over here! Help us!"

"Hello! Two people who are about to strangle each other are in dire need of your assistance!" Brittany shouted to the jungle.

"Well, that's one way of calling for help," Ben smiled at her.

An Iraqi-looking man, and a filthy woman stepped out of the jungle. "Oh no," Ben quietly groaned.

"What is it?" Brittany whispered.

"It's Sayid, he's a torturer. He's also one of the plane survivors."

"And her?"

"She's been on this island for sixteen years, we've agreed to disagree and we go our separate ways. Though, we are in her net. Follow my lead," he whispered quickly to her. "Help!" he shouted to Sayid.

"Don't believe a word he says," the woman told Sayid. "He's one of them."

Brittany marveled at how Ben had made himself look and sound scared, and desperate. Realizing that it was up to her sell the act they were showing, and wanting to him up one, Brittany made herself look pitiful and frightened.

"I have no idea what she's talking about. She's crazy," he panted.

"How long have they been up there?" Sayid asked the woman.

"Since last night," Brittany whimpered with a hint of accusation.

Ben glanced at her, and gave her a quick wink. He looked back at Sayid, and begged, "please just cut us down. My name is Henry Gale. This is my wife, Jennifer," he indicated to Brittany. "We're from Minnesota."

Sayid looked uncertainly up at him. "Please," he begged again.

"He's lying," the woman stated venomously.

Sayid paid no attention to her. He pulled out his knife, and said, "I'm going to cut them down."

"Don't," the woman demanded.

"Thank-you," Brittany whispered to him.

"You're making a serious mistake," the woman growled.

Sayid grunted, and finally cut them down.

Brittany yelped when Ben landed on her arm. "My arm, Henry!" she shoved him off of her.

"Run," he whispered in her ear, before rolling off of her.

Sayid helped them out of the net, saying they were okay and alright. He grabbed Ben's arm, but he slipped out of the grip and began to run. Brittany, who was stunned by the pain in her broken arm, saw that he was running, but before she could follow, Sayid grabbed her tightly.

The woman, on the other hand picked up a crossbow and took aim. "Danielle don't!" Sayid shouted at her.

Brittany's breath caught in her throat as she watched Danielle release the arrow, and hit Ben in the shoulder. "Be-Henry!" she yelled, catching herself in time. She elbowed Sayid in the side, making him let her go. Brittany ran to Ben, who was breathing heavily.

"Ben?" she whispered, placing a hand on his forehead.

His eyes fluttered open, "don't tell them anything," he gasped before passing out.

Sayid joined her, he checked the wound. "You could have killed him," he accused Danielle.

Brittany turned to Danielle, "you scumbag!" she spat.

Danielle rose an eyebrow to the insult and replied, "if I wanted to kill him, I would have killed him."

"You shot this man with no provocation," Sayid scolded.

"He _is _one of them," Danielle insisted.

"One of who?" Brittany asked, acting confused. "Who is she talking about?" she asked Sayid.

"No one," he replied.

Danielle shrugged, "tie him up. And her."

Brittany glared at her, "I'd rather not be tied up thank-you. I just spent a day and half in a net."

"Can I trust you to follow me?" Sayid asked her.

"I go where he goes," she gestured to Ben.

"You should take him to your Doctor. He's no good to you dead," Danielle declared, tying him up herself.

"And then what?" Sayid asked.

"You'll talk to him, Sayid. As I recall, that is what you do." Sayid glared at her. "But know this: he will lie. For a long time, he will lie. Both of them will," she added, looking at Brittany.

Sayid picked Ben up and swung him carefully over his shoulder. "Follow me, Jennifer," Sayid told her, and walked off.

Brittany gave a final glare to Danielle, and followed, watching Ben anxiously.

They walked silently for awhile. As time pressed on though, Brittany needed answers. "How far is your camp? Is he okay? Will he make it? Is your Doctor going to be able to help him? Are we there yet? How much farther? Is he dead? Why aren't you answering me? IS HE OKAY!?" Brittany shouted.

"Mrs. Gale, please calm down. Your husband should be fine. The arrow hit his shoulder, not a life-threatening wound. My camp is just around the corner. However, I'm not taking you to my camp," Sayid said, laying Ben on the ground.

"Then where are you taking us?" Brittany asked him, confused.

Sayid smiled, and knocked her out.

Consciousness slowly came to Brittany. She opened one eye, her vision swam before her. She groaned, and closed it. "So, you're finally awake," Ben's voice waved through her skull.

Gritting her teeth, she opened her eyes and looked around. She found herself in a small, dark room. A single light was on, though it was dim, giving hardly any light at all. She was propped up against a cement wall, and was facing an armory-looking door. Her head suddenly started pounding painfully, and she ducked holding her head. "Oh, my head," she moaned.

"Yes, you do have a rather nasty bruise on your forehead, though it seems you were the lucky one," Ben spat.

She looked up at him then, and realized that he was bleeding horribly. His face was covered in cuts and bruises. His orange shirt was torn open, and a bandage was placed on his arrow wound. Brittany could see that it was already being soaked through with his blood. "What happened to you?" she asked in disbelief.

He looked away, as if he was ashamed, "well, while you were out cold, my friend Sayid decided to get what information he could out of me. As you can see, he didn't believe my story, which isn't good for us."

"What's our story?"

"We're married and from Minnesota, you don't work. I recently sold my business which is mining nonmetallic metals. We crashed here on a hot air balloon with a smiley face on top. It was my dream, and you thought it would be neat so you came along. That's how you broke your arm, when we crashed. Do you have it memorized?" he asked her.

She nodded, "so he just. . . attacked you?"

He shook his head, "apparently, he is a torturer, and I was his victim. He was going to interrogate you when you woke up, but after seeing me, Jack wouldn't let him."

"Jack?"

"The man I had originally came here to see. He's a spinal surgeon, he's also the one who patched me up," Ben looked at his shoulder.

"Did this just happen to you?"

"Yes actually it did, they pulled Sayid off of me, and closed the door. Shortly after, you regained consciousness."

"They?"

Ben rolled his eyes, he was starting to get annoyed with all her questions, "John and Jack. John Locke is a very mysterious man. His father conned him into giving him his kidney, and then left him in the dark. John then tried to stop him from hurting other people, but his father pushed him out of a window. John became paralyzed and eventually crashed here with the other plane survivors. However, something amazing happened."

Brittany leaned in close, Ben was great at telling stories. "John regained the ability to walk. How, is a question I am determined to get answered."

Brittany sighed, and realized that she was sitting on a cot. Ben was too. "Oh, well at least they gave us beds."

He didn't say anything, instead he stared blankly into space. "So, I guess now instead of being captured in a net together, we're locked in a room. You and I just don't have very good luck together."

Ben smirked at her. "Remind me never to go on a mission with you again."

"No problem there," Brittany smiled. "So, where are we?"

Ben looked around, "I believe that we are in a Dharma station called, 'The Swan.' Its use is to control the electromagnetic activity on the island, by pushing a button every one hundred and eight minutes. We happen to be in the armory."

"And in the armory we'll stay if they don't believe your story."

"They probably won't, sooner or later they'll discover the truth, and then. . .that will be the end of us," Ben said casually.

"Well, what can we do to stop that from happening?" Brittany asked.

"We can hope that we live long enough for our people to realize we're not coming back. Then they'll send us a sign or something, eventually we'll be rescued."

"I don't like being rescue," Brittany pouted. "I like doing the rescuing."

"I'm not one for being helpless either."

"So, what do we do?"

"We sit, and wait," Ben sighed, closing his eyes.

She studied him, he was very vulnerable looking now, beaten to a pulp as he was. His torn shirt revealed pale, smooth skin, and some chest hair poked through. Brittany felt her heart quicken a beat, but shook off the feeling.

"You're staring at me," Ben stated, his eyes still closed.

"Just wondering if you're in pain," Brittany shrugged.

He opened his eyes, "excruciating."

Before she could reply, the armory door opened. A tall man with short, black hair, and a scruffy beard walked in. He was wearing a tan t-shirt, and jeans. His eyes were wide, and Brittany thought, a little crazy looking. He smiled at her when he saw she was awake. "Hi, I'm Jack," he greeted.

Ben looked at him fearfully, Brittany knew it was an act, but was astounded at his ability. "I wanted to look at your wound," he said to Ben. "If that's alright with you?"

Ben nodded slowly, looking at him suspiciously. "This is my wife, Jennifer," he indicated Brittany.

"Hi there, Jennifer. Are you okay? I know Sayid had to knock you out, he said you were becoming hysterical. Are you in any pain?"

Ben looked at her expectantly. "My arm was broken when we crashed, but Henry was able to put it in a sling. My head aches horribly though," Brittany cringed as another pain-filled pound echoed throughout her head.

Jack frowned, "I have some aspirin you can take."

"Much appreciated," Brittany smiled.

Jack smoothed Ben's bandage on, and stood up. "Come with me and I'll give it you," he told her.

She glanced at Ben. "Go ahead honey," he grinned. Jack smiled at her, and turned to go.

Brittany rose an eyebrow at Ben's name-calling, and followed Jack. He shut the door behind him, and locked it. "It's over here."

Brittany looked around, there was a kitchen to her left, which was were they were headed, and to the right she saw a dome-shaped room. "What's that?" she asked Jack.

Jack looked and shrugged, "we don't know."

"Where are we?"

"In some hatch, I'm not the expert though, the guy who was running this place left when we came. Here you go," he handed her a pill and a glass of water.

"Thanks," she said gratefully. Swallowing the pill, she looked around some more. "That's a lot of food."

"You're very curious, just like your husband," Jack pointed out.

She shrugged, "that's probably the reason we were married. We both wanted to find out what it was like."

Jack laughed, "if you need anything, please, let me know."

"Sure thing Jack," Brittany smiled.

Jack's face became serious. "Henry told us that you crashed here from a hot air balloon, is this true?"

"Yeah, why would he lie?"

Jack shrugged, "just precautions. Things have happened to us, we can't be too careful. So, what did you do back in Minnesota?"

"Well, Henry and I married right out of college, and he was already very rich to begin with, so I didn't have to work."

"What did he do?"

"He sold his nonmetallic metals mining company," Brittany said proudly.

"And so you both decided to just go hot air ballooning?"

"Well, it was Henry's idea, and I being the ever supportive wife, decided to tag along. Someone's got to keep an eye on him," she smiled.

"I'm sorry for what Sayid did to you, and Henry," he added.

"It wasn't your fault. At least you stopped him when you did. Who knows what he would have done to my poor Henry?" she sighed, laughing on the inside.

Jack nodded, "well, I better put you back in there before anyone comes in."

"Right, thanks again Jack."

"Anytime Jennifer."

He put her back into the armory, and closed the door behind her. She sat back down on her cot, and sighed. "Welcome back," Ben greeted.

"I'm bored."

"He likes you, you know," Ben declared.

"Who does?"

"Jack."


	9. A Tale of Two Strangers

**Very short chapter. Also, this is when I begin random flashbacks. Yay.**

**Chapter 9: A Tale of Two Strangers**

"You are such a cheater!" Tamara exclaimed as she lost yet _another _arm wrestling contest with the mighty Desmond.

"I'm not a cheater. I just have stronger arms than you," Desmond said, stating a very sad and depressing fact.

"I quit," Tamara huffed.

"We've been sailing together on this bloody ocean for quite some time now, and you've told me almost nothing about yourself," Desmond said as Tamara rose and began walking away. "Now we appear to have all the time in the world. I'd love to know a bit about the girl I'm going to die with."

"Well, buddy, I'm afraid that a girl growing up in the U S of A is naturally cautious, and I would never divulge my deepest darkest secrets without knowing about the man who is doing the asking," Tamara replied quickly.

"Fine, if I tell you about myself, you'll tell me about yourself," Desmond negotiated.

"You've got yourself a deal," Tamara smiled.

Thus, Desmond told his tale. "First of all, my name is Desmond Hume. I was in the army once upon a time, but I was dishonorably discharged because I couldn't follow orders. In order to impress Penelope's father, who had asked me to stay away from her, I entered myself in a solo boat race around the world. I went to America and met this lovely woman named Elizabeth who gave me this boat we're sitting on. I crashed on this island and was met by Kelvin, who took me to this Dharma station where I had to push a button every 108 minutes. Kelvin told me that I couldn't go outside because I would get sick. However, I found that he lied to me, and I got angry and accidentally killed him. I didn't get back in time and the button didn't get pressed. I spent the rest of the time down in the station, until the survivors from Flight 815 appeared. I took off, and then I ran into you. I believe you remember the rest. Now it's your turn."

Tamara began her story. "Well, I spent my whole life in the state of Michigan, which is one of the most boring states in the States. I hated it, as did my friend Brittany. We decided that we would travel the world so our life wouldn't be so bloody boring. The whole idea started in eighth grade. Our History teacher would talk about places and we would add it to the list. Some things were really stupid, such as travel to Kansas, step outside the boundary, and say 'I don't think we're in Kansas anymore'! Of course, we had just come out of college, so we were flat broke. Our parents aren't well off, and anyway, they always saw our vision as a joke, so they wouldn't pay. We ended up bending a few rules in order to get our way."

"What rules?" Desmond asked.

"Well," Tamara thought out loud, "we have a _ton _of unpaid parking tickets," Desmond snorted.

"Anyway, we traveled most of our places that we had picked in the States, with the exception of Florida. Apparently there's really good security at DisneyLand. We were force to flee the country due to our unpaid parking tickets, which is when we hopped a plane (counterfeit money) to Paris, where we visited 8,000 cafés. Then we attempted to row to Russia, because the Feds were onto us by then and no one would let us travel with them."

"So, the past couple years of your life you've been on the run because of a parking ticket misdemeanor?" Desmond laughed.

Tamara scowled. "And a counterfeit money charge. We even have a reward!" Tamara pulled a tattered poster that had a picture of Tamara and Brittany in an Italian McDonalds. There was an offer for a $10,000 reward, for various misdemeanors. "I think I should turn myself in. Then, with the $10,000 I'll receive, I'll be able to pay for a decent lawyer and I'll win a federal court case!"

"They probably want to lock you up in the loony bin," Desmond laughed. Tamara glared at him.

Later that night, Tamara lay looking up at the stars, until of course, she accidentally looked at the moon and blinded herself. She was thinking about her trip. Maybe she and Brittany hadn't been well off, but they were happy. Even the most random things had made them laugh. Especially Michael Emerson in _Saw. _Tamara's thoughts drifted…

* * *

_"So, we are pretty much broke," Brittany muttered from her position at the table as she sat musing over the figures on the piece of paper._

_"I could have told you that," Tamara scoffed. "I blame you; we are broke because you insist on ordering pizza every bloody night."_

_"I blame you, because you didn't take a cooking class in college," Brittany replied._

_"Maybe you should've taken cooking class," Tamara answered as she continued her activity, which happened to be writing._

_"Whatcha writing?" Brittany asked._

_"A letter to mi madre," Tamara replied._

_"Dear mom," Brittany recited. "I am forever angry at you for not paying for our trip. I shall NOT send you a postcard, and I am so NOT paying your welfare."_

_"Pretty much, except I didn't say anything about not sending her a postcard," Tamara laughed._

_The two girls hadn't set out on their life changing voyage yet, but they were preparing to very soon, despite the fact that they were flat broke._

_"You are so nice," Brittany sighed. "We are going to sell stuff I'm afraid."_

_"That is so not fair!" Tamara exclaimed. "I guess I'll sell, my bed."_

_"Don't you need to sleep on that?" Brittany asked, laughing._

_"Do you think the cavemen slept on beds? No, they slept on rocks!" Tamara replied._

_And thus, Tamara and Brittany began making a list on things to sell, becoming one step closer to their dream of traveling the world._


	10. Of Spanish Civil Wars and Horcruxes

**Chapter 10: Of Spanish Civil Wars and Horcruxes (Brittany's Chapter)**

"Right," Brittany scoffed at him. She sat on her cot, leaning her head against the wall. "What makes you think he likes me? He's barely even talked to me?"

Ben smirked, "he offered you pain medicine for a headache, and here I am with an arrow wound in my shoulder. Doesn't that just shout 'favoritism,' to you?"

"I thought he had already gave you some. You seem to be handling yourself pretty well, despite being injured and tortured just a few moments ago."

Ben sniffed, "now is not the time to panic or worry over something as tedious as pain."

Brittany sighed, "fine. _I'm_ going to sleep, don't rape me."

Ben rolled his eyes at her, but said nothing. She lay on the cot, resting her feet on one of the shelves. After laying for awhile, and without sleeping, she heard Ben lay back too, and turned her head to look at him. Only problem was, she couldn't see him due to his feet being in her face.

"Hey! Lay the opposite way! I don't like sleeping with feet in my face!" Brittany ordered, propping herself up on her elbow.

"Why don't _you _lay the other way?" Ben asked.

"Because, I like propping my feet up on the shelves. So move!"

Ben grumbled, but moved anyways. Now his head was almost touching her own, since there cots intersected at the corner. She looked at him suspiciously, "you don't snore, do you?"

He glared at her, and said in a menacing tone that made her shiver, "go to sleep."

He turned on his side so he wasn't facing her or lying on his injured shoulder, and promptly fell asleep.

Brittany blinked, and slowly followed suit, wondering what she had gotten herself into.

She was awoken by the armory door opening up. Ben was already awake, sitting on his cot in the same position she had previously awakened up to find him in. Jack, and a bald man with a white t-shirt walked in. Jack handed them a plate with cold rice, and disgusting looking meat..

Before handing Ben a plate, he asked, "do you have to go to the bathroom?"

Ben held out his hand, and replied, "no."

"Well, just tell us when you do."

"Yeah, I'll look forward to that," Ben said sarcastically.

Brittany smiled in spite of herself at her comment, and gratefully took the plate that Jack handed her. "Do you, Jennifer?" Jack asked, smiling at her.

"Yup," she said quite frankly. Ben looked at her in surprise at her frankness, but turned back to his plate.

"Alright, follow me." She stood up, smiled at the bald man, and followed Jack out of the room.

The man behind her gave Ben a book, and said, "thought you might like something to read."

Jack stopped suddenly, and turned around. He looked at the bald man angrily, but slowly continued on.

"Bathrooms through there," he pointed out to Brittany.

"Thanks Jack," she sighed, and skipped off.

She shut the door behind her, and attended to her business. Afterwards, she freshened herself up, and was about to leave, when she heard Jack and the bald man start to argue. Thinking that this may be a good chance to figure out what they were going to do to her and Ben, she decided to eavesdrop.

"What are we doing Jack?" the bald man asked.

"'What are we going'?" Jack repeated.

"We can't hide them down here forever. Changing shifts will get people asking questions. I just want to know what the long-term plan is."

"Well, John, let me ask you this: we don't have a long-term plan for the button, but we keep pushing it, don't we? Look, until we know who they are, or whether or not they're telling the truth, we have to keep on doing what we're doing. If you've got a better idea let's hear it."

From far off, she could hear Ben shout, "how about you let us go?"

Stifling her laughter, and realizing that he could hear them anyways, Brittany left the bathroom, looking as carefree and innocent as she could. She caught them looking at the armory door in confusion and amusement. "What's up?" she asked.

"Nothing," Jack turned his attention on her.

The bald man that she had come to know as John walked up. "We never had a proper introduction. I'm John Locke," he smiled at her, and held out his hand.

She shook it, and smiled at his kindly. "Nice to meet you John. I'm Jennifer, though I wish we had met under better circumstances."

John smiled at her again, and released her hand. "Back in the psych ward?" she asked Jack.

He grinned, and nodded. "Afraid so." He unlocked the door, and let her in, locking it again once she was inside.

Ben was eating his food slowly, a look of disgust on his face. "The rice is cold," he told her after he swallowed. "And the meat is bland."

"Well, I didn't exactly expect the Radisson cuisine." Brittany sat and began eating her food. She made a face when she tasted the meat though, it was very bland indeed. "So, I supposed you heard what went on out there." She gestured to the armory door.

He nodded, "the walls are very thin. That's good for us, but don't mention that to Jack or John."

Brittany noticed that he had a book with him. "What book did John give you?"

He held it up to her. "Dostoyevsky. I've already read it."

"Anything else?"

"No, I asked for Stephen King, but apparently the library's outdated."

Brittany made a face, "I can't stand Stephen King."

Ben gave her a genuine smile. "I can't either."

"Well," Brittany sighed, leaning back, "finally, we have something in common."

They were silent for a couple of minutes, each finishing their meal. When Jack came in the second time, both had finished. "Do you have to go to the bathroom _now_?" Jack asked Ben, taking his plate.

"As a matter of fact, I do," he said, standing up.

Jack nodded, and turned to Brittany. "Stay here," he ordered.

She gave him a nod, and watched Ben leave, wondering how he could look so pathetic and weak when she knew he was completely opposite of that. She sighed in boredom, and decided to steal Ben's book. _'After all, he said he already read it,' _she thought. Flipping through the pages, she skimmed some parts. While some of it was mildly interesting, others were completely dull and pointless. It wasn't long after they had left when Brittany heard a male African's voice call out, "hello?"

Jack was immediately at the door, and pulled Brittany up. "Come on," he whispered. He quietly and quickly pulled her to the bathroom, where Ben was washing his hands. He looked at her curiously, and almost in embarrassment.

"Hello?" the voice asked again. Jack shut the door, and motioned for them to be quiet. Brittany shrugged and walked over to Ben, waiting for him to finish washing his hands, so she could wash hers.

"What's the-" Ben asked, but was cut off when Jack shushed him.

Ben glanced at Brittany, who was now washing her hands, and looked back at Jack.

"How many are-"

"Shut up," Jack whispered, glaring at Ben.

Brittany, feeling the tension in the room, stood by Ben's side, and gingerly touched his arm. He tensed at her touch and gave her a quick look, but relaxed and once again returned his attention to Jack.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Jack sighed and opened the door. "Okay, he's gone."

"Who was that?" Ben asked, walking out of the room.

"Just a guy, I don't know very much about him," Jack shrugged. "You can go back now."

Ben took Brittany's hand in his own, much to her surprise, and led her back to the armory door. Once Jack had shut the door on them, Brittany turned to Ben, and asked, "what was that all about?"

Ben shrugged, "well, we are technically married. The least we could do is act like we are."

"Hmm," Brittany curled up on her cot, and began reading again.

"Do you like it?"

"Meh. It's okay in some parts, others just sound like a bunch of rambling."

Ben smirked, "most philosophers' books are like that."

"Psh, give me a Harry Potter book any day."

"You read Harry Potter?"

"Yeah, why do you?" Ben nodded. "No way! You don't look like the kind to read a fantasy story."

"Well despite my outward appearance, I am very interested in the next installment," Ben informed her.

Brittany rolled over onto her stomach, giving him her full attention, she was ready for a Harry Potter conversation any day. "Do you think the final Horcrux is Harry's scar?"

Ben smiled at her, amused that she was so wrapped up in the conversation. "No, why would Voldemort place a piece of his soul on the kid who he's going to later kill? That doesn't make much sense to me."

"Unless he was desperate and came to the decision that if he was going to die, then Harry was going down with him. Or maybe he made one unknowingly."

They argued over the topic, which had started friendly at first, but now they were using loud voices, and actually _arguing._ The fight went on for a few minutes, until the armory door suddenly opened, and a tall, black, African male was standing in the doorway. Conversation ended there, as they both stared at the gigantic man whose shirt seemed to be ripped to shreds.

He looked at them calculatingly, and strode over to Ben. "Hello," he greeted, his voice familiar. She looked at Ben, and could see by the tightening of his jaw that he realized that this was the man they had previously heard.

The man held out his hand to Ben, who stared at it at first. "I am Mr. Eko."

Ben swallowed, and shook his hand delicately, "Henry Gale. My wife, Jennifer," he gestured with his head, his eyes never leaving Mr. Eko's.

Mr. Eko nodded to her, and she nodded and smiled sweetly back at him. He turned back to Ben. "Do you mind if I sit, Henry?" he asked.

"Okay," Ben answered quickly, doing his best not to shrink back as Eko sat.

Eko looked over them again, his eyes judgmental. "How long have you been in here?"

"Two days," Ben answered.

"Are they treating you well?" Eko asked, glancing at Brittany.

"Treating us well? We're. . . prisoners. And I don't know why or what or-"

Once again, Ben was cutoff. _'Sheesh, must be National Cut Ben Off Day,' _Brittany laughed to herself.

"You are a prisoner, because they are being careful. They are being careful, because they believe you are lying."

Ben looked offended, "why would I lie? They think I'm one of these Others? Other what?"

Eko almost rolled his eyes, and said, "please, stop talking, Henry." Brittany hid a grin as Ben glanced at her. Eko's expression became one of disgust. "The first night I spent on this island, I was dragged into the jungle by two men. They never spoke a word to me, nor I to them. I killed these men." He turned to Brittany, and kneeled on the floor in front of her.

She looked at him in surprise, but let him finish. "Smashed in their head with a stone. Felt their blood on my arms. I need you to know, how sorry I am for this." Brittany looked at him in even more surprise. "I need you to know, that I am back on a righteous path now, and that I regret my actions. I ask you, for your forgiveness."

"Why are you telling her this?" Ben asked Eko.

Eko glared up at him. "Because I needed to tell someone."

He turned back to Brittany, and pulled out a knife. Ben jumped up, and put a hand on her shoulder. Brittany gulped as Eko took the knife, and slowly raised it to his beard. He cut off a part of it, and threw it on the ground. He then sheathed his knife, looked at them in that calculating way, and left.

"That was scary," Brittany whispered, eyes wide.

Ben looked down at her, then seemed to notice he was touching her shoulder. He let go, and sat back down. He stared at the two braids that Eko had cut off on the ground, and then laid down. "That was interesting," he mumbled, calm as ever.

"Thank-you Ben," Brittany murmured.

"For what?" he asked, looking at her strangely.

"For comforting me." Realizing that she was talking about his hand on her shoulder, he nodded, and turned away.

Sighing, she laid down too, and eventually fell asleep. The armory door once again triggered her wakefulness. "Man that thing needs to be greased down," she muttered, looking to see who was coming in this time.

Ben slowly sat up, grimacing in the pain. When he noticed she was watching him in concern, he quickly blanked his face of emotion, and looked to see who was entering. John walked in, carrying bowls of fruit.

He handed them the bowls. "No cheeseburgers, huh?" Ben asked, looking forlornly at the fruit.

"No cheeseburgers," John smiled. "Bon appetite."

He grabbed the glasses and bowls that they had finished earlier, and started to head out. However Ben stopped him, when he asked, "is that true what you said about Hemingway?"

Brittany looked at Ben in confusion. Clearly she had missed this conversation. "You have good ears," John stated in surprise.

"You have thin doors," he shrugged.

John placed the bowls and glasses back on the table, and turned back to Ben. "You read Hemingway?"

"Sure. Guy ran with the bulls. Fought in the Spanish Civil War. Stuff I can wrap my brain around. That, I can't get through five pages of. Although it seems my dear Jen, can."

Brittany looked up, not expecting to be apart of this conversation. "It's not that good. Spanish Civil War? Now that's something worth reading," she nodded to Ben.

He smiled at John, "see why I married her? We're both interested in the blood and sweat of wars."

John shrugged, "hmm. Dostoyevsky had his virtues too. He was a genius, for one. Bullfighting isn't everything."

Ben snorted, "so which one are you?"

Brittany perked up, she knew Ben was up to something. "I'm sorry?" John asked.

"Are you the genius, or are you the guy who always feels like he's living in the shadow of the genius?"

Although Ben had a carefree tone, she knew that he really wanted John to think about the question. _'Interesting,'_ she mused. His question did indeed seem to put John off. "I was. . . I was never very much into literary analysis." Brittany could easily tell he was lying.

Ben looked down, but Brittany saw that he wasn't done yet. John picked up the dishware again, and took a step. "I just don't understand why you let the doctor call the shots."

That made John stop in his tracks, he looked perturbed, but said quite calmly, "no one calls the shots. Jack and I make decisions together."

Ben looked as though he could tell it was a lie, but quickly began to chew his food and looked down. "Right, okay." He coughed uncomfortably, and added, "my mistake."

John left quickly the, still looking perturbed and a little angry. Ben perked up when he left, eating his food more slowly. "What was that all about?" Brittany asked him.

"Shh, listen," he whispered.

A sudden clashing and shattering of glass could be heard. "Did he just-" Brittany stopped and looked at Ben. "You put something in his head."

He looked at her, smiling in triumph, "it's begun."

**Yeah, the continuity with Harry Potter makes me laugh all the time. I believe the next chapter is a flashback. Preview of the next chapter on our profile.**


	11. Hardened Criminals

**This chapter is insanely random. Basically, I (the author of this chapter) had nothing to do for an insane amount of time, so I wrote a random flashback. On the bright side, this is the last chapter that was typed and e-mailed in its entirety. Brittany typed half of chapter twelve, but the rest is in our notebook, which means that the chapters get a lot better (and a lot longer).**

**Chapter 11: Hardened Criminals (Tamara's chapter)**

The day of the week didn't matter. All that mattered was the date of the year. Today happened to be September 22, 2004. Tamara and Brittany were walking the streets of the dangerous Dodge City. Both were wearing hats pulled down over their eyes: Tamara's idea. They had to do something to hide their faces. Ever since the two of them had escaped police custody in Kansas, the silly FBI had decided that they were nearly as dangerous as Kate Austen, who had reportedly been apprehended at last in Australia. Of course, the Feds didn't have a _clue _who they were dealing with. Tamara and Brittany may not have been hardcore criminals, but they had watched enough cop shows in order to know how they U.S government worked. Escaping hadn't been the problem; their faces being in every major city and state in America was.

They had been forced to ditch their previous car (Brittany wasn't happy, as it was, after all, _her _car), and instead they had 'borrowed' Tamara's mother's car. That _did _turn them into criminals. However, they had simply 'borrowed' a license plate that had been tacked onto the wall in Tamara's garage. They doubted her mother would miss it.

Brittany wouldn't have minded that arrangement, except that Tamara wouldn't let her drive, declaring that it was her car. Tamara wasn't a horrible driver, but she never paid attention, something that scared the living daylights out of Brittany and Tamara's mom.

"I wish we could disguise ourselves better," Brittany muttered as they strolled the streets: Tamara taking pictures with her digital camera and Brittany surreptitiously video taped their Dodge City experience. Tamara was into video editing, and they wanted their trip around the world documented. Of course, neither had a clue what they were doing after the trip around the world. A life on the run sounded boring as hell.

The girls walked into a pub and their attention was instantly drawn to the television above the bar, which seemed to have attracted an unusual amount of attention. The T.V was broadcasting a news report about a plane crash that had apparently just occurred. "That's saddening," Brittany said, not really caring, as neither of them knew anybody that had been on the plane.

A random police officer glanced over at Brittany's lack of empathy and, unfortunately for the girls, he was _holding _a freaking wanted poster. Brittany noticed it first. "Uh oh," She muttered.

"What?" Tamara asked densely, too busy examining her fingernails to notice the danger they were in. Brittany rolled her eyes and grabbed Tamara's elbow and marched her out of the pub. They broke into a jog to where Tamara had parked the car.

"He's following us!" Brittany moaned.

"Who?" Tamara asked, and then she saw the officer. "Oh crap."

Tamara fumbled with the keys in her purse and struggled to unlock the door. "Can you be a _little less _like Willy Wonka and a _little more _like a girl that's going to face the guillotine unless she escapes Dodge City?!" Brittany demanded.

Tamara opened the door and she and Brittany threw themselves in. Tamara found immense difficulty going the speed limit of thirty-five as the cops chased them, oddly enough going the correct speed limit as well. As they drove past an ice cream parlor, Tamara almost stopped, but at a deadly look from Brittany, she kept driving.

They made it to the freeway and Tamara sped up, slowly. "Your car has horrible acceleration," Brittany groaned.

"I know," Tamara muttered, glancing in the rearview window. The cop was still dogging their tail.

"Do you think they'll start shooting at us?" Brittany asked worriedly after a while.

Tamara snorted. "Oh please. It's not like we killed anybody."

"Maybe they really want their ten thousand dollars."

"I'm sensing a moral in there somewhere."

At long last, Tamara pulled off the freeway. "What's wrong?" Brittany asked her.

"We are almost out of gas," Tamara said, but the words were hardly out of her mouth when the car started beeping at them.

"Now what? We can't stop for gas!" Brittany exclaimed. She checked behind her. The patrol car was no longer in sight, but they knew it was still chasing them.

Tamara made a split second decision. She swerved into a turn-off. "Out of the car," She demanded, grabbing her bag and following her own instructions. Not wasting a single second, they broke into a sprint.

"I _told _you we should've taken track instead of French club," Brittany gasped.

"French will come in useful when we go to Paris," Tamara replied.

"Which will be _never_! We're in _Kansas,_" Brittany sighed, exasperated at how dense her friend was.

"Not anymore," Tamara said.

"There's one more thing crossed off our list," Brittany said, unbelievably stopping and taking the battered list out of her bag. She crossed off Kansas and the task to be completed. Tamara rolled her eyes.

They continued sprinting and walking stints never stopping to take a complete break. Their feet were killing them. "Couldn't we have just stopped for gas?" Brittany asked.

"Do you think Jack Bauer stops for gas Brittany?!"

"Who _cares _what Jack Bauer does? We're not Jack Bauer!" Brittany exclaimed.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Tamara whined.

"Look, a rest stop!" Brittany exclaimed, pointing at a convenient rest stop.

"Don't you have to pay for those kind of things?" Tamara moaned.

"Who cares? I gotta pee. We'll just skive off our pay."

"Cool. We're like, hardened criminals now," Tamara exclaimed.

True to their word, the girls got to use the bathroom, bought food (and put it on their tab) and they even rented a room that they left in the middle of the night so they wouldn't have to pay. They were on the road soon enough, walking, running, trekking through busy streets, not so busy streets, fields, farms, woods, and they even got the pleasure of being shot at when they ignored a "No Trespassing" sign.

Both were very surprised that they hadn't died yet, although after they stole from a ton of gas stations and convenience stores along the way in order to make ends meet. They were also pleasantly surprised as they managed to hi-jack a rowboat. Tamara painted its name, for she insisted that all proper ships must be named. Brittany could have killed her for her naivety. So they set across the Atlantic ocean with nothing but water, a bit of food, fishing gear, and the clothes off their backs. Along with a few personal belongings: their Mp3 players, blonde wigs, a pink wig for Tamara, and a wig Tamara had found that reminded her of Bellatrix Lestrange, making her want it instantly.

Seriously though, Brittany probably _should _of killed her. Tamara was, after all, the reason they were wanted for _way _more money than they were worth.

**If anybody wants to know, this is a real scenario Brittany and I dreamed up one day. We have a massive list of a trip around the world we're going to do one day (don't crush our dreams!) and one of our things was, "How are we going to pay for this?" so we ended up with this thing about being on the FBI's Most Wanted List because of a massive amount of unpaid parking tickets.**


	12. The Great Escape

**So, this is where the typed chapters end, and the written chapters begin, which means that the story actually becomes bearable for me and Brittany. Also, since I no longer have **_**Waise Heill **_**duties, you get to look forward to longer Author's Notes. I try to be brief, and it never works. **

**Chapter 12: The Great Escape (Brittany's Chapter)**

Brittany rolled her eyes, "great, I have a master manipulater on my hands."

"You're too kind," Ben smirked at her.

She ate her fruit, and placed it on the shelf when she was finished. Sighing, she said, "I'm officially bored."

"Well, I'm sorry I didn't pack a deck of cards. I wasn't exactly planning on being captured," Ben replied dryly.

"That's good to know." Brittany laid back on her cot, and stared at the ceiling. "So, how's your shoulder?"

"In excruciating pain, why?" he said simply.

Brittany shrugged, "just showing you I care."

"Do you?" Ben scoffed, not believing her.

Brittany rolled onto her stomach, looking at him. "Yeah, I do. What? Do I have to prove it to you?"

Ben smiled, "well, if you care so much, why don't you convince Jack to get me a pain killer?"

"Fine, I will," Brittany huffed, crawling off her bed. Ben watched her with interest, as she walked over to the armory door.

She knocked on it, and called out, "Jack? Are you there?"

A few seconds later, John opened the door. He looked calm and reserved, despite throwing a tantrum a few minutes ago. "He's in the shower, can I help you?"

"No, I need to talk to Jack, it's a. . . doctor thing," she lied.

John nodded, "alright Jennifer, you can wait out here."

He let her out, and closed the door on Ben. "You can sit there," he pointed to the couch. "I'll go get Jack."

"Thanks," Brittany smiled, sitting down. John left her, and went into the bathroom. She glanced around the room, and spotted a deck of cards on the table. Making sure no one was coming, she bolted for the deck, and grabbed it, quickly hiding it in her jean pocket.

As soon as she had sat down, Jack came out of the bathroom. He was wet, and wasn't wearing anything but a towel wrapped around his middle. _'Oh, chocolate,' _Brittany mentally groaned.

"Er. . . sorry to disturb you Jack," Brittany sputtered, looking away from him.

He smiled and strode over to her, unaware of his nudity. "It's no problem. What's wrong? John said you needed me."

"Well, yeah, it's Henry. His shoulder is killing him, and he's too proud to ask for pain killers himself, so I decided to take it on myself to get them for him. Could you give me some?" she asked, giving him puppy-dog eyes.

He chuckled, "sure, anything for you." He blushed slightly when he said that, but shook it off, and said, "follow me."

He led her into the back where all the medications were, and handed her a couple of pills. While he was doing so, Brittany heard John greet someone in the other room.

"Hello, Ana-Lucia, he's right in there."

"Alright John, I'll knock when I'm ready to come out," the woman, Ana-Lucia said.

Brittany heard the armory door open, and then close. Frowning, she wished Jack would hurry up so she could what was going on.

"There you go," Jack smiled, giving her the last pill.

"Thanks Jack, well, I'd best be on my way," she started to walk away, when Jack stopped her.

"How are things with Henry?" he asked her.

"Huh? Oh, he seems to be doing fine," Brittany answered, wondering why he was asking her instead of him.

"No, I mean. . . your marriage, how are things with Henry? Don't think I'm nosy or anything, I just don't think he's treating you the way you should be treated. Is he a. . . good husband?" he asked her, studying her closely.

Pink rose in her cheeks, "y-yes, he's a great husband," her voice wavered, and she knew Jack didn't believe her.

"It's just that, you two don't seem to be very close. Or very intimate if you will," he pressed.

Brittany shrugged, "well, the whole crashing in a hot air balloon, then being held prisoner thing sort of dried out any room for intimacy."

Jack grabbed her shoulder, but gripped it tenderly. "If he ever does anything to you, something that hurts you, tell me, I can help," he said, his eyes widening and looking at her seriously.

"R-right, Jack. I'll do that," Brittany told him, finally escaping his grasp, and retreating to the armory door.

John sat in the couch next to it, and opened it for her. "Thanks, John," she smiled.

He nodded and closed it when she had entered. She stopped in surprise when she saw a woman sitting on the cot next to Ben. A slight flame ignited in her stomach, she shook off the feeling though, and looked at the woman curiously.

"Hello? I'm Jennifer Gale," she greeted.

The woman nodded to her, but didn't get up. "Ana-Lucia," she nodded.

Brittany glanced at Ben, but he was watching Ana-Lucia. "Er. . . so, what's going on?" she asked, sitting on her cot.

Ana-Lucia spoke up, "Henry here is telling me about your trip here. I asked him to draw me a map, but he refuses. Could you?"

Brittany snorted, "ha! That's funny. I'm afraid Henry did all the work, I just went along for the ride. If you need a navigator, he's your man," she smiled fondly at Ben.

Ben cut-in to the conversation. He glared at Ana-Lucia, "you people have been looking for someone to punish for everything's that happened to you, someone to blame, and now you've got him." Ben shook his head disapprovingly at her. "It doesn't matter what I do. We're dead already."

Ana-Lucia leaned in to him. "You draw up that map, Henry. I'll find your balloon. But if you don't, things are gonna play out just like you said."

Brittany began to panic, they were screwed now! There wasn't a balloon on this island, was there? She saw Ben glance at her, and slowly begin to nod. "Alright, I'll draw you a map. But our lives are in your hands now." He turned to Brittany. "May I take a page from your book, dear? Preferably one from the beginning of the book."

"Sure," Brittany tore out the first page, and handed it to him.

"Thank-you," he nodded, and took the pen that Ana-Lucia was holding. He began to draw lines, and landmarks, writing down a few scale factors, and what things were. When he had finished, he sat back, and doubled checked his work. He handed the map to Ana-Lucia, "you will find our balloon there. You can count on it."

Ana-Lucia nodded and took the map, "see you later." She stood up and walked to the armory door. She knocked, and said, "coming out."

Jack opened the door, and glanced at Ben with a stern look on his face. He smiled warmly at Brittany though, and shut the door after she had smiled back.

"Oh, Ben," she called out sweetly.

He turned to her, rasing an eyebrow. "Yes?"

She laughed, and handed him the pain killers. "Mission accomplished."

He smiled down at the pills in his hand. "Thank-you," he said quietly.

"No problem, it really wasn't that hard. Though Jack thinks you're an abusive husband or something like that."

Ben's head snapped up, "what?"

"Yeah, he doesn't think we have a good marriage, because we haven't been very intimate. I blamed it on all the events, but he didn't buy it. Funny though, huh?" she laughed.

Ben just stared at her, thinking things over. Making a decision, he swallowed one of the pills with the help of a glass of water, and stood up. "What are you doing?" she asked him, curious.

"Being a good husband," he replied, sitting next to her. He wrapped his uninjured arm around her shoulders, and leaned her back until her head was resting on his chest.

She sighed, and leaned in, cuddling herself against his body. "Well, I wasn't exactly telling you we had to be intimate, but this will work," she mumbled.

"We have to sell the act, or else my plan will fail," he explained.

Brittany closed her eyes, and eventually fell asleep.

The sound of Jack's voice flittered through her mind, making her wake. "Either way, it sounds like you end up dead."

Brittany was still lying against Ben's chest, his arm was still wrapped around her, but in his other hand, he held the book she had been reading. His chest shook as he laughed quietly, and said, "that's the spirit."

Brittany smiled, and pushed herself off of his chest. "Good morning, Jennifer," he smiled at her.

"Morning, Henry. And good morning Jack," she added, looking at him.

He was looking darkly at Henry, but brightened when he looked at her. "Good morning Jennifer. Do you guys want some breakfast?"

Ben looked at him in surprise, "sure," he whispered eagerly. Jack nodded and led them into the kitchen.

Ben took a step forward, then remembered something, he turned and took Brittany's hand in his, and followed Jack.

John was putting cereal into his bowl, and looked up at them in surprise. Ben walked a little stiffly, having not been able to walk around as much as Brittany. He looked curiously at the dome-shaped room, and asked, "what's the computer for?"

Jack shook his head, "nothing."

Ben nodded, and helped Brittany into the booth opposite of John. He sat next to her, and looked at the cereal in wonder. "Cereal," he said. He looked at John, "wow. Where'd you guys get cereal?"

John shrugged, "it was down here all along. Pantry's full of food."

Ben grabbed the cereal box, which had a strange symbol on it that read Dharma, and looked in it. Brittany stifled a laugh, it was almost like he was looking for a toy in the box. "How old is it?" he asked uncertainly.

Brittany cringed, stale cereal was disgusting. Ben looked at John and Jack when nobody answered. He laughed, "you guys don't know much, huh? I mean, I'd be asking all kinds of questions about all this stuff down here." He smiled, "you guys don't even seem that curious."

Jack interrupted him, "do you want the cereal, or don't you?"

Ben backed down, and silently poured himself a bowl of cereal. He glanced at Brittany, and handed her the cereal box. She took it gratefully, and poured herself some as well. While Ben started to eat his cereal slowly, she took handfuls and shoveled it into her mouth.

"This must be reward for my good behavior, huh? I guess I earned myself some goodwill for finally drawing that map for Ana."

The two men looked at him in shock. "What map?" John asked him.

"To our balloon," he said answered, saying it like it was obvious.

Jack pointed at John, "did you. . ."

"No," John answered.

Ben rose his eyebrows, "wow. You guys have some real trust issues, don't you? I guess it makes sense she didn't tell you. I mean, with you two fighting all the time." Brittany nudged him with her shoulder, he was wading in dangerous waters. He ignored her, and continued, "of course, if I was one of them, these people who you seem to think are your enemies, what would I do? Well, there'd be no balloon. So I'd draw a map to a real secluded place, like a cave or some underbrush. A good place for a trap. An ambush. And when your friends got there, a bunch of my people'd be waiting for them. And then they'd use them to trade for me. I guess it's a good thing I'm not one of them, huh?" He laughed, then looked at John. "You guys got any milk?"

Brittany stared at Ben, her jaw open. She quickly shut it, and laughed. "Henry, you've watched too many survival shows. Be polite, it's nice enough they're giving us actual breakfast," she playfully scolded.

Ben smiled at her, happy with her performance.

Jack seemed to blow a fuse. "Put him back!" he ordered John, who looked at him in surprise.

Jack then stomped away angrily.

Ben shook his head. "Why do you let him talk to you like that?" he asked incredulously.

Brittany saw John's eyes catch fire. He seized Ben by his collar and hauled him out of his seat. Brittany grabbed the cereal box and stood up. John seemed to momentarily forget her as he shut the armory door on an apologizing Ben.

He looked at Brittany in surprise, who waved meekly back. Rolling his eyes, he opened the armory door and gestured for her to go inside. She shot him a grin before entering and having the door slammed in her face.

"He's a bit touchy, isn't he?" Brittany said to Ben, who was frozen in the same spot that John had thrown him to.

"I didn't even get to finish my breakfast," Ben said sadly.

Brittany held up the cereal box, smiling. "I nicked the cereal!"

Ben returned the smile. "Thank you, Mrs. Gale," he nodded and took the box from her.

"Anytime, hubby," she grinned.

Ben laughed at that and sat on his cot.

Sighing, Brittany sat on hers and looked at him expectantly. "So, is your manipulative plan working?"

Ben winced a little. "To my knowledge, it seems so, though most of it depends on the dunderheads back at home. Hopefully, by now, they've discovered Michael Dawson and bargained with him to get us out of here."

"And so we wait," Brittany said in a bored tone.

"We wait," Ben confirmed quietly.

Wait they did. All day they spent in the armory. Jack must have left the hatch, for it was John who gave them lunch and bathroom breaks. Brittany was on the verge of falling asleep when a sudden crackling noise caught her attention. She looked over at Ben, who was resting his head against the wall. HE must have heard it, too, because he was looking at the door questioningly.

"John, what was that?" he asked. Receiving no reply, he called again. "John?"

"Be quiet!" they heard John hiss.

The lights began to flicker. Brittany felt a stirring of fear. "Ah, Ben, I don't really like the dark."

Ben looked at her, confusion still on his face. Surprising her as well as himself, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, I know what's happening."

Before she could ask what, the lights flickered again. Ben turned to the door. A female's voice had begun to count down. In a frightened voice, he asked, "John, what's that noise?"

"I said shut up!" John yelled.

A loud beep followed by the sound of steel slamming made Brittany yelp and grab Ben's hand. She sprang up next to him.

He looked down at their touching hands, confusion clouding his face. Before he could say anything, John's voice was heard. "We're locked in."

Ben seemed to snap back to reality. He dropped her hand. "What?" he asked in confusion turning back to the door.

John opened the door. "I need your help. Both of you."

Brittany was about to agree when Ben cut her off. "Why would we do that, John? We're prisoners here. Why should we help you?"

"Henry, we've got to open the doors," John insisted.

"Then I'm going to need your word, John. Your word that you'll protect us no matter what."

"Well, if you really are who you say you are, my people should have no reason-"

"Your people have had things happen to them. Things that I've had nothing to do with!"

John looked at him closely. "Who are you?"

Ben gave him a firm look. "My name is Henry Gale. And this is my wife. And we crashed on this island, just like you."

John hesitated, then nodded. "Then you have my word."

"And you have our help," Brittany piped in.

John smiled at her. "Good. I need you both to help me lift this bar."

He led them over to a steel wall where a pipe was propped under it. They placed themselves and gripped the pipe.

"Now, lift," John grunted, pulling on the pipe.

Brittany heaved, the steel door was insanely heavy. "Get something to prop the door up," John panted.

Behind her, Ben quickly rolled a toolbox over and put it under the door. John and Brittany removed the pipe, rubbing their sore arms. To Brittany's alarm, John crouched and slid himself under the door. "John, I don't think that's such a great-" Ben's warning was cut off when the door suddenly lowered, sending a steel peg into John's leg. He cried out in pain, and Brittany leapt to his side, holding the door. Ben ran to the other side, lifting weights and stacking them under the door.

"Brittany, help!" Ben cried.

Her eyes widened when he called her by her real name. She glanced at John, but felt a bit of relief when he seemed too preoccupied being in pain to have noticed Ben's slip. Leaving the door, she helped Ben stack the weights.

Once the door was being supported, they dropped to John's side. "Henry!" John gasped. "I need you to go to the other room and crawl up into the vent. Then you need to go to the computer and type in 'four, eight, fifteen, sixteen, twenty-three, forty-two' then hit execute. Do you-?"

"'Four, eight, fifteen, sixteen, twenty-three, forty-two,'" Ben repeated automatically.

Brittany looked up and watched Ben walk to the storage room. As he began to climb up, she noticed how unstable the locks were. "Henry, be careful!"

Just as the words left her mouth, the rack broke under his weight. Ben came hurtling down with a mighty crash.

"Henry!" John and Brittany cried.

She ran over and knelt beside him. "He's unconscious! The dolt!" she exclaimed.

"Then you have to do it, Jennifer. Push the button," John groaned in pain.

Brittany perked up. "Button? I love pushing buttons!" she said excitedly.

Forgetting entirely about Ben, Brittany eagerly climbed the food rack and up into the vent. "I hope there aren't any spiders up here," she muttered. A very large spider decided to drop on her hand at that moment. Brittany shrieked and jumped up, hitting her head on the top of the vent. "Ow!" she cried, holding her aching head.

Growling in frustration, she made her way down and out of the vent.

She walked over to the computer and looked at it. Sitting down and completely ignoring the alarm, she typed in: . Logging in, she cried out happily, "Yay! I have more reviews for that _Eragon _fic I wrote with Tamara!" Before she could read the reviews, however, Ben pushed her away from the computer.

"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed.

"Hey, Ben! Are you alright? You took a nasty fall," Brittany reached for his face to check for bruising.

He slapped her hand away and clicked the ESC button on the computer and gave her a glare. "You're not supposed to use this computer for leisure," he scolded.

Brittany frowned. "Sorry, Ben. How was I to know? I've been fanfic starved for so long!"

Ben looked at her like she was crazy. "I don't want to know."

Meanwhile, the buzzer had just reached zero and was now flipping to hieroglyphics.

"Ooh, symbols," Brittany sighed, looking at them.

"Move, I need to type in the numbers," Ben shooed her.

"No!" Brittany exclaimed. "I want to push the buttons."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Fine."

Grinning, she typed in the numbers. After hitting 'execute,' the symbols flipped back to one oh eight.

"Well, that was exciting," Brittany sighed. She noticed that Ben had moved to the opposite side of the room. Walking over to him, she heard the steel doors rise.

He was looking at a door. A door that led outside to freedom.

Ben looked at her uncertainly. "We have a choice to make, Brittany," he said quietly.

"What's that?"

"Stay here and help John, though we'll most likely die, or walk through that door and live and let John suffer on his own."

Brittany turned to where John lay; he was calling out for them. "Ben, it's not a choice at all," Brittany told him.

He gave her a sad smile. "No, it isn't."

They walked back to John, who gave them a relieved look. "There you are. You came back," he sounded as though he was on the brink of tears.

"You didn't think we were going to leave you, did you?" Ben helped him up.

John gripped his shoulder. "Thank you, Henry."

"No problem," Ben smiled back.

Brittany looked from one to the other. "What a tender moment. Excuse me while I let you two marry one another."

John grinned at her and said, "Thank you as well, Jennifer."

Brittany returned the smile. "Anytime, John."

"Jennifer, will you take his other shoulder? We need to lay him down," Ben told her.

"Right-o!" Brittany did so and they lay John down on the couch. Ben ripped open John's pant leg while Brittany went to get some rags and ice.

After she returned, she gently cleaned the wound and placed ice on it. Ben and John were talking about what had happened and how Ben hadn't punched in the numbers. She gave him a questioning look, to which he silently shook his head and mouthed the word _later _to her.

Just then, Jack along with Sayid, Ana Lucia, and a woman and a man whom Brittany hadn't seen before entered the room.

"Get away from him!" Jack ordered them.

Ben gave him a look of fear. Brittany did as she was told and moved away from John.

"It's alright, Jack. I let them out," John weakly argued.

Jack picked Ben up by the collar and shoved him against the wall.

"Didn't you find our balloon?" he asked.

Sayid answered him, looking smug. "We did find your balloon, Henry Gale. Exactly where you said it was. I decided to look through the casket, and I found this." He held out a driver's license of a black man, the name read, _Henry Gale. _

Brittany looked at Ben in shock; had he killed the real Henry Gale? Ben said nothing in his defense, but Brittany saw a stony expression settle on his face.

The rest of the night was a blur to Brittany. Most of it was spent interrogating her and Ben. While he remained silent and was tied up in a most uncomfortable position, Brittany didn't see any harm in letting them know a few things.

"What's your real name?" Jack asked kindly. He was still kind to her, even more so now that he knew that she wasn't married to Ben.

"Brittany," she answered.

"What were you doing out here?" Sayid asked.

"Looking for my friend, Tamara. Have you seen her?" Brittany asked, deciding to tell a half-truth.

"I know no Tamara," Sayid shook his head.

"What about him?" Jack gestured to Ben who was currently locked in the armory. "What's his story?"

"He found me," Brittany lied. "My friend and I crashed here. He was helping me find her."

"What's his name?" Sayid asked.

Brittany shrugged. "He's always told me his name was Henry."

"Why did he make you lie to us?" Jack asked.

"Well, he said he expected you to take us prisoner, which you did, and that you might kill us. So we made up my identity."

"Thank you, Brittany," Jack smiled. "Now, let's see if he feels up to being any more cooperative."

They opened the armory door and Brittany gave Ben a sad look. He was tied to the wall, looking as though he was crucified. Ben didn't look up at them as they entered.

"Hello, again," Sayid said.

Jack waited outside. It was only Sayid, Ana Lucia, and Brittany with him. "Brittany's told us a bit from her side. Why don't you tell us your story?" Sayid suggested.

Ben looked up then and gave Brittany an accusatory glare. She looked helplessly back at him. She didn't tell them everything.

"He was already dead," Ben said quietly. "Four months ago. I was part of the search party. Henry Gale was hanging out of the basket, neck broken."

Ben never looked at them as he said this; he kept his gaze lowered to the floor. Ana Lucia looked as though she was about to argue when Sayid stopped her.

"So, he was already dead?" Sayid inquired.

"Yes," Ben finally looked at him.

"And then you buried him and left the grave marker?"

"Yes," Ben repeated in annoyance.

Sayid smirked. "You really should have checked his wallet before you did that." He pulled out a ragged twenty dollar bill. Ben looked at it curiously. "I assume Henry Gale did not have any paper on which to compose his thoughts, so he had to improvise." Holding the bill out, Sayid read with a glance at Brittany: "Jennifer, Well, you were right. Crossing the Pacific isn't easy. I owe you a beer. I'm hiking to one of the beeches to start a signal fire, but if you're reading this, I guess I didn't make it. I'm sorry. I love you, Jenny. Always have, always will. Yours, Henry."

"Awe," Brittany crooned, but instantly stopped when all three of them glared at her.

Sayid looked back at Ben. "So tell me, how did Henry Gale write a note to his wife with a broken neck?"

Ben seemed very uncomfortable at this point. Brittany felt bad for him. "It wasn't me, I didn't kill him. You don't understand."

Sayid cut him off. "How did you know his wife's name? Did you interrogate him?"

"Please…just listen..I'm just a…"

Sayid interrupted once more. "How many of you are there?"

Ben began to panic and started breathing heavily. "If I tell you about them, you have no idea what he'll do!"

"He?" Sayid questioned.

Brittany looked at Ben in confusion. Who was 'he?'

Ana Lucia said, "You mean their leader. The guy with the beard."

Ben looked at her like she was crazy. "Him?" he cried incredulously. "He's no one. Nothing!"

"Where are your people?"

"I can't…"

"How many of you are there?"

"You don't understand!" Ben cried.

Brittany started to get worried. Sayid was practically smoking at the ears. "Understand this!" he yelled, standing up. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Ben.

"Hey," Brittany and Ana said at the same time.

Sayid ignored them. "You have three seconds to answer my question. How many of you are there?"

Ben shook his head.

"One."

"He'll kill me!" Ben exclaimed.

"I'll kill you!" Sayid cocked the gun. Ben flinched and looked away. Brittany needed to do something; things were getting out of hand.

"Two."

"You can't do this! I am not a bad person!" Ben cried, looking desperately at Brittany.

"Three."

Brittany launched herself on Sayid, tackling him to the ground as he fired. The bullet hit the wall a few feet from Ben's head. Brittany wrestled with Sayid on the floor, yanking the gun from his hands. After she managed to seize it, she hit him in the face with the butt of the gun. Sayid cried out and gripped his head.

Ana Lucia pulled Brittany off of him. "Easy there, tiger," she said.

Jack charged in. "What happened?"

"He's a liar!" Sayid shouted.

"You heard a gun shot. What do you think happened?" Brittany spat.

"It's fine. Just get him out of here," Ana said calmly to Jack. She turned to Brittany. "Can I have the gun?"

Brittany shrugged. "Sure. I hate firearms. Swords are much classier." Ana gave a small smile and left with Jack and Sayid.

Hearing the armory door close behind her, Brittany finally looked up at Ben. She was startled by the intense stare he fixed on her. Once he had met her eyes, he lowered his a bit. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Brittany smiled. "Well, I wasn't going to let them kill you. You're not such a bad guy." She walked up to him and nudged his shoulder.

He winced in pain. "Sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you," Brittany gasped.

"It's alright. These ropes are killing me though. I told you they'd crucify me," he smirked.

Brittany frowned. "I'm going to get you down."

Ben tilted his head at her. "Are you sure that's a good idea? They might crucify you next."

"Bugger them," Brittany growled. She reached up to untie him, but just as she was about to start untying, the armory door opened.

"Brittany, don't," Jack's voice cut through to her.

She turned around. "Why not? He's losing feeling in his arms, Jack. I don't think that's good for his shoulder."

Jack frowned. "I'm going to tie him up on his bed. He'll be a little more comfortable. Satisfied?"

Brittany nodded but frowned.

"Alright, then, you can help me." They untied him. Ben was so weak, he practically collapsed onto them. His unshaved cheek brushed against her own as she helped him stand up. She almost laughed at the way it tickled.

Jack then sat him down and tied his wrists to his ankles in a very uncomfortable position. Brittany knew better than to ask for something different.

"Come on, Brittany," Jack said, walking out of the armory.

She gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"You're one of us now. You told us everything. You're no longer a prisoner," Jack smiled. "You can leave him and come with me."

Brittany smiled softly and walked up to him. "Jack, as much as I'd like to take up your offer, I need to stay here. With him." She glanced back at Ben, who was giving her a sad look.

Jack frowned, a confused look on his face. "Oh. Okay. Alright. Call if you need anything then," he said quietly and shut the door.

Brittany sighed and returned to Ben, who was looking at her curiously.

"What?"

"How much have you told them?" Ben asked instantly.

She shrugged. "Not much. Just my name, how I got here, who Tamara was. I lied a bit about meeting you, and the reason we were captured in the net."

"You lied?"

Brittany nodded. "A bit. What a pair we make, huh?" She sat next to him.

Ben merely gave her a smile, saying nothing.

"Why won't you tell them your name?" Brittany asked curiously.

"A name is a powerful thing, and should only be given to those whom you trust," he told her.

"Well, alright!" Brittany beamed.

"You chose to stay with me in captivity rather than join them in freedom. Why?" Ben asked softly.

"I feel that you need me more than they do. Besides, Sayid is a jerk, and I know you better. Well, longer, anyway."

Now that she thought about it, she hardly knew anything about Ben. Only that he was the leader of his community and had a daughter named Alex.

They sat in silence for a few hours. Ben would occasionally try and change his position, desperate to rid some of the pressure on his legs and back. They were visited by John once, who had asked Ben what his real name was. Ben had told him to continue calling him Henry. Then they got into a religious conversation on how God couldn't see the island. Personally, Brittany thought Ben was being a little negative.

Ben then told John that he hadn't pushed the button. Brittany thought it was odd that he was lying about this, but smiled at John when he gave her a look asking for reassurance.

That was the last Ben talked to anyone, except Brittany of course. When she asked him why he wasn't talking to them or eating the food, he replied that he wanted them under the impression that he had given up hope and was weak.

Weak he was, though Ben did his best to cover it up. Luckily, they took mercy on him and untied him from his uncomfortable position. Jack came in once to change Ben's bandages and told him he was leaving to find his people so he could trade Ben for Walt. He completely ignored Brittany the entire time, giving her the cold shoulder.

They started playing music outside the door. Brittany suspected it was Ana Lucia who chose the songs. Some of the music was pretty good. Hawaiian. During the lapses of silence, where the others seemed to be sleeping, Brittany got to know Ben better. At first, he wouldn't answer her questions, but slowly he began to open up to her.

"So, you've been here all your life?" she questioned.

"Pretty much. My life before isn't worth mentioning," he said in a tone which meant _don't ask. _

"And you just magically became the leader of your people?"

Ben saddened a bit. "No. It took a long time. With many sacrifices."

"Any brothers or sisters?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm an only child."

"What about your parents? Are they still alive?" Brittany wished she hadn't asked. Ben's face darkened. A look of such hate and loathing she'd never seen before crossed his face. He didn't say anything to her for a while.

Brittany felt as though she had offended him. "Look, Ben, I'm sorry if I brought up bad memories or anything."

Ben, who was staring at a spot on the floor in thought, looked up at her. "It's okay. It's all in the past," he said quietly.

She still felt miserable, knowing she had caused him some pain. Suddenly, music had turned on. John was back. Otis Redding's voice filled the air.

_These arms of mine  
They are lonely  
Lonely and feeling blue_

Brittany smiled and stood up. "Care to dance, Ben?" she asked, holding her hand out.

Ben looked up at her in surprise but stayed seated. Just when she thought he was going to refuse, he stood up and took her hand. Being as the armory was small, they didn't have very much room to maneuver. Brittany put her other hand on his shoulder and rested her chin on his uninjured one. Ben placed his free hand gently on her waist.

_These arms of mine  
They are yearning  
Yearning on wanting you  
And if you  
Would let them hold you  
Oh how grateful I would be_

Brittany was surprised at how good of a dancer he was. He didn't seem the type to know how to dance, but Ben easily led them into the slow dance. Not to mention he was dancing with no food for two days; quite a feat.

_These arms of mine  
They are burning  
Burning on wanting you  
These arms of mine  
They are wanting  
Wanting to hold you  
And if you  
Would let them hold you  
Oh how grateful I would be  
Come on, come on, baby  
Just be my little woman  
Just be my lover  
Oh I need me somebody  
Somebody!  
To treat me right  
I need your warmth  
Loving arms to hold me tight  
Oh and I need  
I need to kiss your tender lips…_

The song slowly faded into nothing, leaving an awkward Ben and Brittany standing there still in their dance position. She pulled back a bit to look in his eyes. She had never noticed how blue his eyes were or how deep they seemed to go. A million thoughts were whirring in his mind, she could tell.

"Brittany, I-" Ben was cut off when the armory door opened.

Ana Lucia walked in, carrying two plates of fruit. They parted instantly, though Ana Lucia had seen them. She cocked one eyebrow and set the fruit on the table.

Brittany picked hers up at once and began eating it silently. Ben sat on his cot, not touching anything.

Ana smirked. "Hey, Henry. What do you say?" she held out the food to him.

When he made no move to take the bowl, she sighed. "How long you gonna keep up this hunger strike, Henry?" He merely ignored her and stared at the corner.

"I ever tell you I was a cop?" Ana suddenly asked.

Brittany felt a slight jolt of fear. A cop? Parking tickets, car chase, she took a few steps from Ana and sat on her cot.

Ana didn't seem to notice her strange behavior. Instead, she continued talking to Ben. "I've been around a lot of killers in my life. You know what surprises me the most about them?"

Ben didn't even blink.

"How much they love to talk. But you're different, Henry. Quiet."

Brittany noticed that Ana's tone changed to a more antagonizing than casual tone. Was she trying to get under his skin?

Ben surprised them both by muttering something. "What was that?" Ana asked. She crouched down in front of him. "If you're gonna say something, you're gonna have to speak-" Just then, Ben flew at her. He hit her in the face, causing her to fly back.

Brittany jumped up. "Ben!" she shouted in shock.

He ignored her and whipped Ana around. Seizing her throat in his hands, he began to choke her. "You killed two of us. Good people who were leaving you alone," Ben said in a quiet, menacing voice.

Ana kicked him under the belt, causing him to cry out, but he didn't relinquish his hold on her. Ben slammed her down on his cot, his eyes ablaze. All Brittany could do was watch in horror, her feet were rooted to the spot.

"You're the killer, Ana Lucia," Ben said clearly.

Ana began to suffocate, Brittany could tell. With effort, she was finally able to move to her feet. Grabbing Ben by the waist, she heaved him off of Ana. "Ben! Stop it! You're going to kill her!" she shouted at him.

Ben hardly even heard her. He shook her off and charged at Ana again. Suddenly, a crutch hit him over the head, knocking him cold to the floor. John was looking at him in shock. He glanced at Brittany, then looked at Ana, who was panting but already sitting up. "I guess he decided to start talking, huh?"

Ana merely glared at all of them and left. John looked at Brittany, who was nudging Ben with her toe. "He should be out cold," John told her.

Brittany looked up at him. She was pale and shaking. Ben had just tried to kill someone and didn't care! The realization that what they were saying, that Ben was a murderer, seemed to be correct. And she had thought she was finally getting to know him.

"What happened?" John asked.

Brittany shrugged."He just…attacked her," she said in a small voice.

John nodded. "Come on. Why don't we have a drink?"

He grabbed his crutch and limped out of the room. With a final glance at Ben, Brittany quickly followed. Ana had seemed to leave the hatch completely, seeing as they couldn't find her.

John poured them both a cup of tea and they sat on the couch. "Thanks," she whispered as she took a sip.

"You're welcome," he smiled.

"What's going to happen to him?" Brittany asked after a while.

"I'll tie him up and let him sit in darkness. That way he can think of what he's done."

Brittany shook her head. "I'd have never imagined him to do that. He's so polite, so gentle."

John didn't say anything. "Why don't you get some sleep? Things will be easier once you've got a clear head."

"Alright," Brittany sighed.

"You can sleep over here." John stood and led her to a place where there was a bed.

"Thank you, John," Brittany smiled, crawling into the bed.

John returned the smile. "No problem. Sweet dreams." With that, he limped back to the armory, where Brittany knew he was tying Ben up once more.

Frowning and with a million questions burning within her, Brittany eventually fell asleep.

Not long after, Brittany awoke to the door's hinges squeaking open. Groaning, she sat up and walked over. John was talking to Ben. She stood outside the door, listening. "If you've come to apologize, I forgive you for hitting me with your crutch. I'm so glad my head didn't break it," Ben's voice reached her. He seemed distant, cold.

Brittany gave a slight shudder. Was this the man she had been dancing with just a few hours ago? "Why?" John asked.

"Now that's a broad question."

"Why did you try to hurt Ana Lucia but not me?" he asked. Brittany listened intently.

"I'm not sure I know what you're getting at, John."

Brittany heard the crutches tap the concrete floor. "I was trapped under that blast door. Helpless. You could've crushed my skull. But you didn't do a thing."

Brittany filed that thought into her mind.

"Why didn't you?"

"Because you're one of the good ones, John." Brittany's brow furrowed in confusion. _What?_

"What? Good what?" John sounded as confused as she felt.

"None of this matters. I'm dead anyway. The doctor's gone to make a trade, and we both know he'll come back empty-handed, and then I've lost my value." Ben paused for a moment. "So, either Jack comes back here and kills me, or my people find out where I'm being held and they do it."

"Why would your own people want to kill you?"

"Because the man in charge…he's a great man, John, a brilliant man." Ben sounded as though he was in awe, but Brittany knew he was talking about himself. "But he is not a forgiving man. He'll kill me because I failed, John. I failed my mission.

"What mission?"

"When that woman caught me in her trap, along with Brittany, I was on my way here, John. I was coming for you."

A female's voice cut through the air, then. "Locke!" she called.

Brittany turned and saw Jack and a young woman carrying a black man into the room where she was just sleeping. "Locke!" Jack called.

John limped out, his face perplexed. He saw Brittany and looked at her questioningly.

"I need to talk to him. To know," she told him softly. He nodded and waited until she entered the armory to close the door.

Ben looked at her in surprise. "So, you've returned?" he asked quietly. Brittany didn't smile, but slowly approached him.

Ben gave her a knowing look. "You're frightened of me as well?" he said sadly; it wasn't a question.

She sat across from him on the floor. "Ben, why did you attack Ana Lucia?"

He fixed her with an intense stare. "She killed one of my people, unprovoked. I've always had a touchy temper when it came to her." Ben gave a shrewd smile. "But it wasn't for revenge that I attacked her, but to forward my plan."

"Your plan?" Brittany asked, her hopes rising a bit.

He smirked. "My plan of escape, of course. If I wanted to kill her, Brittany, I could have done with so much less of a racket. I wanted John to walk in on me."

Brittany paused. "So, you weren't going to kill her?"

Ben shook his head and smiled. "No, I wasn't. I'm not a killer, Brittany."

Brittany gave him a huge grin and hugged him happily. She felt Ben stiffen under her embrace. Apparently, he wasn't used to getting hugs. In an effort to return the hug, Ben bent his head over her shoulder so his chin rested on it.

She laughed and pulled back, ruffling his hair as she did so. "Ben, can you promise me something?"

He hesitated but nodded, looker at her suspiciously.

"Next time you come up with a plan that involves almost killing someone, tell me, alright?"

Ben gave a quiet laugh. "I'll do that."

She smiled and looked at him. "Does your head hurt?"

He gave her a smirk. "I was hit with a crutch. What do you think?"

"Come on. We can at least sit you on something comfortable." She helped him stand up. He swayed a bit and clutched his head with his tied wrists.

Before Brittany could move him to his cot, the door opened once more. Ana Lucia stood there. "Get out," she said to Brittany in a hollow voice.

Brittany let go of Ben and faced her. "Why?"

"Just do it."

Brittany stood her ground. "No, I'm staying here."

Ana shrugged. "Suit yourself. You can help him, then." Ben looked at her curiously as Ana slid a pocket knife to him. "Pick it up." He was crouched over, his hands were tied to his ankles, making it hard for him to reach for the knife.

"Cut yourself loose."

Brittany picked up the knife. "What?" Ben asked in amazement.

"Just do it," Ana said in the same emotionless tone.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"You know why," Ana replied.

Brittany looked from Ana to Ben. He seemed to understand. "Give me the knife, Brittany."

She looked at him questioningly but cautiously handed him the knife. Ben started to cut himself loose, glancing at Ana every once in a while. When he was finished, he stood upright.

"He kept saying you were misunderstood."

"What are you talking about?" Ana Lucia snapped.

"Goodwin," Ben smiled, giving her a knowing look. "Yes. He told us all about you, Ana. How he thought you were worthy, that he could change you. But he was wrong," Ben whispered. He set the knife slowly on the ground. "And it cost him his life."

Brittany looked at Ana Lucia. So, she really did kill one of his people.

"He was gonna kill me," Ana said in her defense. Brittany looked at Ben. He gave Ana a questioning look.

"Was he?"

"Are you done?" Ana asked vehemently.

Ben looked at her sadly and whispered, "Yes, Ana. I'm done."

Ana Lucia pulled out a gun. Brittany took a step in front of Ben. "Ana, put the gun away."

She expected her to say no, but was surprised when Ben spoke. "Brittany, step aside." Brittany turned and looked at him incredulously. "What? She's going to kill you!"

"I know," Ben murmured. "Sit there and don't move. Understand?" he asked, making her sit on his cot.

She looked up at him in shock. Was he crazy? He faced her so Ana couldn't see and gave her a wink. Brittany hardly felt reassured but sat still anyway.

Ben took a few steps back and faced Ana Lucia once more. "So, this is it, huh?"

"Yes, Henry. This is it," Ana said without blinking.

Brittany realized Ana called him 'Henry,' which meant that she hadn't been paying attention when Brittany was shouting at Ben.

And so they waited, and waited, and waited some more, but still, Ana didn't pull the trigger. Brittany hardly breathed and gripped the cot in her fists. At long last, Ana lowered her gun, and, without a word, left the room, closing the door after her.

Brittany let out a breath that she was holding the entire time. "Well," she turned to Ben, "that was anti-climactic."

He smirked. "But a part of my plan."

Brittany rolled her eyes. "You and your plan."

"Was that Michael they brought in?" he asked suddenly.

"Depends. Who's Michael?"

"Was he African-American?"

Brittany nodded. "Yeah."

"Good, then we should be free soon." Ben sat next to her.

"Seriously?!" Brittany asked in excitement.

He nodded, smiling. "Michael will be setting us free."

"Why? He's not one of your people," Brittany questioned.

"We'll be trading Walt for our freedom," he answered simply.

"Walt? That's his father?" Brittany asked incredulously.

"Yes, Michael Dawson. Desires to be the perfect father but has no idea on how to even be a decent one." Ben smirked.

"Why did you take Walt from him?"

"Walt has…certain abilities that make him very special to me and my people," Ben answered. "He's hardly been cooperative, though." He seemed to lose himself in thought for a moment. "No matter, I'll just have to come up with a new plan."

"A plan for what?"

"It's a personal matter." He gave her a sheepish smile.

"Awe, come on, Ben, you can tell me." Brittany nudged him.

He shook his head. "I don't think now is the greatest time."

Brittany leaned against the wall, as happy as she could be. Ben wasn't a killer. Ana didn't shoot him, and there were about to be set free. Oh yes, things were looking up.

Just then, a gunshot echoed throughout the hatch. Brittany bolted up. "What's going on?"

Ben pulled on her arm, sitting her back down as another shot rang out. "Don't worry. We're about to be set free."

Just as he was finished speaking, the door opened and Michael looked in on them. Ben slowly stood up and stared at him. Michael looked from Ben to Brittany, breathing heavily. A gun was in his hand. Brittany couldn't help but feel a brief jolt of panic. What sort of freedom was Ben talking about, exactly?

With a quick motion, Michael raised the gun and shot himself in the arm. Brittany cried out and rushed to his side. Michael pushed her away, grunting in pain. "Let me help you," she said to him.

"Just give me my son," he hissed.

"Come, Brittany, we need to make preparations." Ben took her arm and dragged/led her to the kitchen. Taking out a backpack from the bedroom, Ben crammed some food into it. Brittany located her long lost bag with her entertainment things and shouldered it.

She stopped suddenly when she saw a puddle of blood on the floor. The puddle led to a figure curled up on the floor. Brittany looked at her, a sick feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. It was a young woman with blonde hair. She couldn't stop from watching the blood spill out of her.

"Brittany?" Ben's voice brought her out of the trance.

"Is she dead?" Brittany asked quietly.

"Yes, she is." Ben took her wrist and pulled. Her eyes couldn't leave the sight of the blood. Sensing this, Ben pulled her away.

Brittany saw Ana Lucia dead on the couch as well and cried out. Ben shook her. "Brittany! Snap out of it! Think!"

She blinked furiously and shook her head wildly. Brittany was about to look back at the dead bodies, but Ben pulled her out of the room before she could.

"First dead body I've seen," she said quietly. "It's different than in the movies."

"Yes, it is," Ben whispered.

"Ready?"

Ben smiled and led her out of the hatch. Michael shouted after them. "I want my son back!"

Ben calmly turned around and replied. "You have my word. See you soon."

And so, Brittany and Ben vanished into the jungle, the night enveloping them in darkness.

**Thank god! That was too long. My fingers hurt. I should probably tell you that the reason this is a day early is because we have no school today (well, tomorrow, actually). I'm going to try a regular post on Saturday as well, but I'm going to Brittany's Saturday, so I'll have to see if my schedule will allow a post. Regardless, there's a preview of chapter thirteen on our profile.**

**Please review. I normally don't beg, but I just typed up twenty-five pages in one sitting. It's now 11:41, and I've been up since 5ish. I'm knackered, but there's no school tomorrow! So, yay!**


	13. Dealing Heroin and Real Meat, Alright?

**The chapter title…yeah, it's explained. Also, things start picking up. You can probably guess the direction the story will take from here on out.**

**Chapter 13: Dealing Heroin and Real Meat, Alright? (Tamara's chapter)**

"And that's how we became hardened criminals," Tamara finished her story proudly.

"Right…" Desmond said skeptically.

They sat in silence, both staring at nothing in particular. "What does Dharma mean?" Tamara asked at last.

"I don't know," Desmond replied. "Kelvin told me it was an acronym, but I don't know what it is."

Tamara fell into silence, thinking of Dharma the enigma. "Dealing Heroin and Real Meat, Alright?" she said at last.

"Pardon?" Desmond asked, surprised.

"That's what Dharma stands for!" Tamara exclaimed as though it was the most obvious conclusion in the world.

"I don't get it," Desmond said.

"They deal heroin," Tamara explained, "and rich chocolate wouldn't fit."

"'Real Meat?'" Desmond demanded.

Tamara shrugged. "You got a better idea?"

Desmond shook his head. "It fits…sort of," he joked.

"I miss the internet," Tamara sighed. Suddenly, she gasped in surprise. "I'm so stupid! I have my laptop!" she ran down to where her bag was and she pulled out her beloved laptop which magically wasn't damaged. She turned it on and signed on to AIM.

"Oh! Dom's on!" she exclaimed, clicking on her friend Dominique's screen name.

Lost4evr14: HEY!  
hotbabe9071: TAMARA! You're on FBI's most wanted!  
Lost4evr14: I know! Cool, isn't it?  
hotbabe9071: you're so stupid!  
Lost4evr14: you're just jealous  
hotbabe9071: I am jealous  
Lost4evr14: well, I g2g. I'm stranded on a boat in the middle of nowhere  
hotbabe9071: ok. Lylas  
Lost4evr14: ttyl

"I'm not really sure that conversation should've ever taken place," she mused as she clicked out of the AIM window and opened her media library.

Johnny Depp's voice came from her speakers: "Come to negotiate, eh, you slimy git?"

Desmond looked at Tamara. "What the bloody hell was that?"

Tamara pointed to the title of the song on the screen.

"Jar of Dirt Remix?" he asked, sounding incredulous.

"Uh huh," Tamara said eagerly as she opened Sims 2.

"Where do you find all this music?" Desmond asked as a song called Barbossa is Hungry began to play.

"All sorts of places. My entire library is downloaded from my Mp3. I get those songs from various CDs and Myspace," Tamara answered as she made an amazing Sims family: Tamara, Desmond, Brittany, and Orange Shirt. However, the Shirts had no home because Tamara turned off Sims and shut the laptop. Her mother was working and it wouldn't be good if she saw her AIM name.

"What songs are from Myspace?" Desmond asked as Tamara crossed her arms huffily, upset at, once again, having no internet.

"Um, Petula Clark's 'Downtown.' Mama Cass Elliot's 'Make Your Own Kind of Music." Donna Lewis's 'Always Forever.' Rogue Wave's 'Eyes.' Within Temptation's 'Our Solemn Hour.' And, of course, the Jar of Dirt Remix," Tamara answered. "OH! And Meredith Brooks's 'I'm a Bitch.'"

They sat in silence. "I never thought I'd say this, but, I'm bored," Desmond said at last.

"It's not my fault you got us lost in the middle of nowhere," Tamara said bitterly.

"Don't you have anything else on that laptop of yours?" Desmond asked, ignoring his companion's bitterness.

"I downloaded my _Heroes _DVDs," Tamara said, turning her laptop back on and opening DVD number five. She clicked on Bonus Materials and opened the Mind Reader.

"Okay," Tamara said, moving so Desmond could see the screen. "Pick a double digit number between one and one hundred," she read the directions on the screen.

"Twenty-three," Desmond said.

Tamara clicked the next button. "Okay, now add two and three together," she said.

"Five," Desmond said.

"Now, subtract five from twenty-three."

"It's eighteen, isn't it?" Desmond asked.

"It is now," Tamara smiled. She clicked the next button. A bunch of pictures came up. "Okay, eighteen is Peter Petrelli," Tamara said. "Now you have to concentrate on your character."

They both did so, and a minute later, the name Peter Petrelli popped up.

"How did it do that?" Desmond asked in awe.

"It's magical," Tamara said, closing the laptop as it began to rain. She took her laptop and went with Desmond down below deck. "My flag's gonna get all wet," Tamara moaned.

"Well, you're not going back out there now," Desmond said as he grabbed a bottle of Dharma alcohol. The storm raged overhead.

"Why do you insist on getting drunk?" Tamara asked a snoring Desmond some hours later. "Now I have nobody to talk to." She went outside and groaned when she saw her flag. It was now in shreds. As she stood staring at her flag, hands on her hips, a thought struck her. Giggling, she returned to Desmond. He had an annoying habit of sleeping without his pants; it was time to show him what happened when he annoyed her.

She stole his tossed aside pants and painted along one leg: Dealing Heroin and Real Meat, Alright? Pleased with her handiwork, she replaced her tattered shirt/flag with Desmond's pants. Looking blandly at the horizon, she spotted a blissful sight: land. What was more, it was _inhabited _land. Three figures were swimming towards the boat.

"_Desmond!_" Tamara yelled, leaping down to the deck and racing to the hatch.

"Wha…?" Desmond slurred.

"There are people coming!" Tamara exclaimed excitedly. Desmond's reaction wasn't quite what Tamara had anticipated. He rose drunkenly and grabbed a rifle. "You're not seriously planning on _shooting _our possible saviors, are you?"

"They could be hostiles," Desmond said.

Tamara sighed. "I suppose." She took the gun from her accustomed place and ran back up the hatch. The three men were making their way up the side of the boat now. One was an Iraqi, another was a tanned, handsome man, the other was a pale and ugly man.

"Don't move!" Tamara pointed her gun at the ugly man, who pointed his gun at her in turn. Fortunately, before anybody could start shooting, Desmond made up their minds for them. He went rifle crazy and started shooting everywhere. "Desmond!" Tamara screamed furiously. She hid with the strange men, the best looking man was unconsciously shielding her with his body.

The gun clicked and Tamara heard Desmond give a muffled, "Dammit!"

When the pale guy and the Iraqi went to investigate, the handsome guy turned to Tamara. "I'm Sawyer," he drawled in a southern accent.

"Congratulations," Tamara answered before hurrying to see what the others were doing.

"Did you say Desmond?" the pale man asked her.

"Yes, why?" Tamara replied.

The man didn't answer. Instead, he threw the door open and revealed Desmond in all his drunken glory.

"You," Desmond chuckled drunkenly.

* * *

The Iraqi man (Sayid, Tamara had learned) was down in the hatch questioning Desmond. Tamara was sitting awkwardly squished between Sawyer and the other guy.

"How long have you known him?" the pale man asked.

"A couple weeks," Tamara replied.

"I'm Jack, by the way."

"I'm Tamara."

Jack frowned. "Do you have a friend named Brittany?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I do. We were in a rowboat and it crashed," Tamara replied, wondering how Jack could possibly know Brittany.

"She was on the island with us and then she assisted in the murder of Ana Lucia and Libby." Jack sounded sad.

Tamara snorted. "Brittany wouldn't kill anybody," she laughed.

"She's been wondering where you are," Jack said.

"Well, I'll just tell her I've been on a cruise," Tamara smiled.

"You can't. She's gone. Left with a man named Henry Gale," Jack answered.

"Did he have an orange shirt?" Tamara asked suddenly.

"Yes," Jack said slowly.

Sayid returned with Desmond. "Does this boat have a raft?" he asked Tamara.

"Yes, it does," Tamara said, nudging said raft with her foot.

"Let us return then," Sayid said.

"So, I'm going back!" Tamara exclaimed. "I can't!" she said, suddenly remembering that she was on FBI's Most Wanted.

"You have to," Sawyer told her. "You can either stay on this boat and starve, or you can come to the island and eat Dharma cereal."

Tamara's mouth watered at the thought of cereal. Relieved that she wasn't on her way to the jailhouse, and then to the ale house, she grabbed her bag and got onto the raft with everybody else.

Later that night, Desmond was busy talking to a bald man and Tamara was standing on the beach staring at the spot where she knew the boat was anchored.

"Here," Sawyer said, handing her a light blue shirt.

"Um, what were you doing with this?" Tamara asked, donning the shirt.

"I stole it the day we crashed," Sawyer explained.

"Were you planning on wearing it yourself?" Tamara asked, smiling.

"Very funny," Sawyer smirked. "Is the drunkard your boyfriend?"

"No! Me and _Desmond? _Don't make me laugh. He's straight, though, so you can't satisfy that vision of yours," Tamara teased.

Sawyer scowled. "Where you sleeping tonight?"

"I don't know," Tamara mused.

"You can share my tent tonight," a young woman said from Tamara's left.

"Thank you," Tamara sighed. "I'm Tamara.

"I'm Kate."

Tamara followed Kate to her tent. Before she could follow her into the tent, she was stopped by a frazzled looking black man. "Excuse me, do you have a moment?" he asked her.

"Sure," Tamara replied, feeling baffled.

"Tomorrow," the man said, "a group of us are going to the camp of the Others."

"What 'others?'" Tamara interrupted.

"The other people on the island that took my son!" he replied fiercely. "Anyway, Sawyer, Jack, Kate, Hurley, and myself are going to their camp. You need to come, too."

"I do? Since when?" Tamara demanded.

"Please," the man pleaded.

Tamara frowned. "Alright, I'll go," she said.

"Thank you! I'm Michael, by the way," he said as he turned to leave.

"You're going, too?" Kate asked when Tamara sat on the ground.

"Yeah. Why did he ask me?" Tamara asked herself.

"It's strange," Kate agreed. "He wouldn't even let Sayid come, and Sayid's who we'll need most."

"I'll be right back," Tamara said, rising and grabbing her bag.

She made her way over to the snoring Desmond. "Hi!" she greeted him, plopping on the sand beside him.

"Hi," Desmond slurred as he jerked awake.

"Who was that bald guy you were talking to?" Tamara asked.

"That was Box Man," Desmond smiled.

"Who?" Tamara laughed.

"John Locke. He worked for a box company," Desmond explained.

"That's nice," Tamara said, raising her eyebrows. "I'm going off with Michael to the camp of the Others tomorrow. I need you to watch over my laptop. Don't let Sawyer steal it."

Desmond took the proffered laptop and asked, "Why are you going off? You just reached land!"

"Because it sounded fun," Tamara said, before skipping away to Kate's tent.

The next morning, Tamara rose bright and early and still managed to miss Desmond as she made her way to meet with those that were going on the trip.

"You must be the new chick," a massively obese man greeted her.

"And you must be Hurley," Tamara said, smiling and offering her hand. "I'm Tamara."

"Are we ready?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Kate said.

"Let's just get this over with," Sawyer grumbled.

The six of them made their slow way into the jungle. Tamara found herself walking beside Sawyer. "So, how far do we have to go?" Tamara asked.

"I don't know. Hey, Mike!" Sawyer called. "How long before we get there?"

"If we don't talk and keep moving, tomorrow," Michael responded.

"You still got that gun, Sweetcheeks?" Sawyer asked Tamara.

Tamara took the gun out of the back of her jeans, which she had found among the wreckage. "Yep," she smiled.

They walked in silence for a little while until Sawyer finally spoke again. "I give up. Where have I seen you before?"

"Probably on an FBI's Most Wanted poster," Tamara said nonchalantly as she carefully stepped around a ginormous rock.

Sawyer thought long and hard about that statement. At last, he gasped and pointed his gun at her. Tamara put her hands up in the air. "Jack!" Sawyer yelled. "Did you know Tamara was a fugitive?"

"What?" Jack asked, clearly stunned.

"So what?" Hurley asked lazily. "Kate's a fugitive, too."

"Oh, yeah! Kate Austen! I saw you on the news," Tamara said before Sawyer cleared his throat. "Oh, right," she said, focusing all her attention on Sawyer.

"What did you do?" Jack demanded, pointing his gun at Tamara as well.

"This is getting ridiculous," Tamara said, pointing her own gun at Jack.

"Dude," Hurley said cluelessly, wisely stepping out of the line of fire. Apparently, he wasn't carrying a gun.

Kate pointed her gun at Sawyer and Michael pointed his gun at Kate.

"To answer your question," Tamara addressed Jack, "Brittany and I didn't pay our parking tickets."

Sawyer scowled, but, seeing the look in Tamara's eyes, he lowered his gun. "You're serious?"

Tamara nodded. "The reason our reward is so massive is because we're so amazing at evading the police."

"Oh…kay," Kate said slowly.

"Whatever. Can we just go, please?" Michael grumbled.

"Yeah, let's go," Tamara agreed.

The next day, after spending the night in a clearing, they quietly struggled through the foliage until they were attacked by a massive (fake) bird. The normal people remained silent and ducked, but Michael fired his gun into the air…or tried to. The gun merely clicked, obviously not loaded.

Hurley, meanwhile, said, "Did that bird just say my name?"

"Yeah," Sawyer replied. "Right before it crapped gold."

"Really?" Tamara asked stupidly.

Michael was checking his gun. "Sorry man, I guess I forgot to load that one," Jack said.

Tamara noticed that Jack was a terrible liar.

They continued their journey. Tamara was walking up front with Hurley, being bored with everyone else.

Suddenly, they were overtaken by the sounds of shooting. Apparently, they were being followed. Sawyer killed one of their stalkers, but the other got away.

"They'll know we're coming!" Sawyer exclaimed.

"They've already been told!" Jack said. "Tell them, Michael. Tell them we're being set up."

"They took my son," Michael sobbed.

"You knew?" Sawyer accused.

"I would _never _lead you there if I didn't have a plan!"

"What plan?" Sawyer growled.

"Sayid's going to check out their camp. He'll signal us with black smoke when it's all clear," Jack explained.

"That's all fine and dandy, but why am _I _here?" Tamara asked.

"They wanted you. They told me so," Michael said.

"That's just brilliant," Tamara sighed. Furiously, she socked him in the face.

"Nice one," Sawyer smirked.

"Thanks," Tamara smiled.

"Can we just go?" Hurley asked.

They continued on their way. When they came to a magical clearing, they saw a strange sight: a pipe in the middle of the ground which had spouted hundreds of bank tubes, except they were filled with notebooks, not checks.

Kate began reading the notebooks. Tamara scanned the horizon and spotted a column of black smoke.

"Um, shouldn't we be there?" she asked and pointed.

"You misled us," Jack snarled.

"Run!" Sawyer said, and they all, except Hurley and Michael, began to run.

Tamara was hit in the arm with a dart. Through a haze of pain, she spotted the very man Desmond had shot so long ago (or so it seemed). His hideous face was the last thing she saw before she was gagged and a hood was pulled over her head.

**FYI, pneumatic tubes are the best things ever. Also, this story is not for any Kate fans. I don't know if I mentioned it or not, but she's not treated nicely. It's not bad in this chapter, but this is pretty much my final season of Kate tolerance (I don't know when Brittany's tolerance ended).**

**As always, preview of chapter fifteen on our profile.**


	14. Moving to the Hydra

**Oh my God! What happened to season two? Yeah, this is pretty much the last season two based chapter. It's also a good deal shorter than Brittany's last chapter. And my fingers are grateful.**

**Chapter 14: Moving to the Hydra (Brittany's chapter)**

Shortly after their escape from the hatch, Brittany found herself practically carrying Ben through the jungle. "Was this part of the plan?" she hissed, wrapping his arm over her shoulder.

"Not really. I guess I should have eaten something before we left." Ben gave her a small smile.

Brittany growled, "Then eat something!" She dropped him and thrust a banana in his hand. "You need your strength."

He took it gratefully and ate it. "I'm afraid that refusing to eat for two days then running around in the jungle wasn't one of my greatest ideas."

Brittany rolled her eyes. "How's your shoulder?"

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. We need to get back."

She grinned. "Back home?"

He gave her a strange look. "Yes, home." He looked at her curiously.

"What?" Brittany raised her eyebrows, returning the look.

"You've been on this island for a couple of weeks and already you call it home. Usually, it takes people years to finally accept this place."

"I don't see why. It's just a normal island."

Ben smirked. "Right…normal." Before she could question him further, he continued walking.

They finally reached the familiar village just as dawn was breaking. Very few were out except for Bea, Tom, and a few others. They rushed up to them as they approached but kept their distance from Ben; except for Tom, of course.

"Good lord, Ben! What happened to you?" Tom cried as he spotted Ben's shoulder.

"Never mind that now, Tom," Ben said in an authoritative tone. He turned to Bea. "Did you give him the list?"

She nodded. "All those you asked for were written down."

"Including the girls?"

"Tamara's name was taken as well," Bea confirmed.

Brittany perked up when she heard Tamara's name. "Tamara?" she looked at Ben. "Why are you writing her name down?"

"I thought you would like to see your friend again. If she's over there with them, Michael will bring her along with the rest of our guests." Ben gave a small smile.

"Why would you bring her, though? Aren't you all big on secrecy?"

"You can call it a thank you for helping me with my mission," Ben said shortly.

"Oh…well, thank you," Brittany said quietly.

"Thank you." Ben gave a nod.

Tom looked from one to the other, thinking that the situation was weird.

"So, what's up now?" Brittany broke the silence.

"Michael should be arriving shortly with everyone. You know what to do." He turned to Bea and Tom. They nodded at him silently. Ben turned back to her. "Then we're moving to a different island for a while."

Brittany's eyes widened. "There's another island?"

"We haven't been there in a while," Tom told her.

"But why are we taking them? Wouldn't it be better to just ignore them completely?" Brittany asked. Tom and Bea shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Ben.

Brittany looked at Ben expectantly. He looked straight back into her eyes, a blank expression on his face. "I have a tumor on my spine," he said bluntly and simply.

She blinked at him. It took a few moments until what he said sunk in. "You have cancer?" she asked in disbelief.

He winced at her tone. "Technically, no."

The whole time she had been with him, he had been slowly dying and in pain. He was a very good actor. Brittany's respect for him grew. On impulse, Brittany threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.

She felt Ben stiffen against her. "I'm so sorry, Ben," she mumbled against his shirt. "You were dying the entire time, and I was such a nuisance!" she whined.

"That was a rather blunt way to express my condition, but I suppose you're correct," Ben said, still tense. Tom and Bea were looking at her in amazement. Apparently, not many people hugged the leader of their community.

When she pulled back, Brittany could see the slightest hint of fear and despair in his eyes. It disappeared as soon as it had appeared, though, and he merely took a few steps back from her. "Bean, will you show Brittany to her home? I'm sure she would love to rest for a few minutes."

"Right, follow me." Bea gestured to her. Brittany followed, giving Ben a sad look. He didn't notice her, though, and was already giving Tom orders. "Where am I staying?" Brittany asked her as they walked down the path.

"With Juliet. She's agreed to let you stay with her until your own house is cleaned up. You'll be staying in Ethan's home."

"Who's Ethan?"

"He was a fine man. Kind and friendly…he's dead," Bea said simply.

"…Oh." Brittany felt a little awkward knowing she would be living in a dead guy's home. "Did he die of old age?"

"No, the survivors of Flight 815 killed him. Or, more specifically, a man named Charlie Pace."

Brittany came to a halt. "Charlie Pace? _The _Charlie Pace?!"

"You know him?"

"Who doesn't know him? He's the bass player for Driveshaft! I love them!" she exclaimed.

Bea merely kept walking until they reached a house without any lights on. She knocked and waited until a light turned on. Shortly after, the door opened and Juliet stood before them, yawning. Her eyes widened when she saw Brittany.

"You're back," she said, opening the door a bit wider.

"Yup," Brittany grinned.

"Come on in. Are you hungry or anything?" Juliet asked, allowing Brittany to enter.

"Thanks. Not really, I'm just really thirsty." Brittany waved to Bea, who left them without a word.

"Juliet!" Ben called from behind Brittany. She turned in surprise and watched him approach.

Juliet merely cocked an eyebrow at him. "You look terrible," she said, looking him over.

Ben smirked. "Strange, I've never felt better."

"Do you need something?" Juliet asked, her voice cold. Brittany thought it was strange that she was acting so icy toward him.

"I have some things I need you to do for me. Brittany, if you'll excuse us." Ben turned to her.

She shrugged. "Sure thing." Brittany walked fully into the house. Ben shut the door behind her, shutting Juliet and himself outside. All Brittany could hear was the low mumbling. "What I wouldn't give for some Extendable Ears right now," she muttered.

Brittany walked into what she took was the living room and sat on the couch. Before long, Juliet walked back in, looking worn and unhappy. She looked at Brittany and walked into the kitchen. When she returned, she was holding a glass of water. "Here," she said, handing her the glass.

"Thanks," Brittany said gratefully, taking a long sip. Juliet sat next to her and gave a tired sigh. "Why don't you like Ben?" she suddenly asked.

Juliet looked at her in surprise. "I like Ben," she said in an airy voice.

"No you don't. I can tell by the way you look at him." Brittany gave her a knowing look.

Juliet snapped. She jumped up from the couch and pointed a finger accusingly at her. "You don't know him! He's not as nice and caring as he appears to be. Ben's a monster! He doesn't care for anyone other than himself! He's cold, selfish, manipulative, and-"

"And a good man," Brittany interrupted. What Juliet said didn't make sense to her. Sure he was manipulative, even cold at times, but he certainly wasn't a monster.

Juliet only shook her head. "You don't know him." She pointed to a room across from where they now sat. "Your bedroom's in there. Goodnight." With that, she left Brittany and walked into her own bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Sulking, Brittany crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the floor. Juliet didn't know what she was talking about. Ben had always been kind to her; if not a little distant at times. She wondered what he had done to make her so mad at him.

Exhausted, she made her way to bedroom. It was small but cozy. On her bed were multiple sets of clothes. She stacked them in the drawer and changed into the striped pajamas. There was a small window next to her bed. Climbing onto it and slipping under the blankets, she looked outside. Brittany gave a quiet laugh when she saw Ben inside of a house; she guessed it was his, considering he was reading a book. Alex was talking to him, though he seemed to be ignoring her. She stomped angrily away from him. Only when she had disappeared from view did Ben look up, a forlorn look on his face. He seemed to sense someone was watching him, for he jerked his head around and looked right into Brittany's eyes. She dropped her gaze, embarrassed. When she looked back up at him, he was smirking. Ben waved at her. After slight hesitation, Brittany returned the wave.

Letting her hand drop by her side, she quickly shut the blinds on the window and sighed in relief. Eventually, she fell asleep.

A glare from a bright light woke her up. Opening her eyes, she cringed when she realized it was the sun. Someone had opened the blinds. That someone was standing by the door, looking at her expectantly.

"Good morning," Juliet said quietly.

"Er, morning," Brittany yawned.

"Ben wanted me to wake you up. I was going to let you sleep in," Juliet told her.

"Ben? Blast! Wait till I get my hands on him," Brittany muttered.

"I'm right here. My neck's available for your wishes," Ben's voice came floating out from the window.

Brittany turned and yelped when she found Ben standing right outside of her window. Noticing that she was displaying more skin than she had ever shown him, Brittany quickly covered herself up with the blanket.

"Oh! Hello, Ben," she smiled.

"Good morning."

Brittany then asked angrily, "Why did you have Juliet wake me up so early?"

"We're meeting our guests today. Tom and the others are making their way to meet them as we speak. I thought you might like to join me. For old times' sake," Ben added.

"Sure! It was odd, having a room by myself. I was used to sharing one with you! Not to mention I was just getting used to your snoring as well."

"Ben, if you insist on taking her with you guys, at least let me give her some breakfast," Juliet interrupted their conversation.

He looked over at her and nodded slowly. "I'll stop by when we're ready to go," he told Brittany. "When she's finished, dress her up," Ben ordered Juliet before walking away from the window.

Juliet shut the window with a slam. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Brittany. "Hungry?"

"Famished," she replied.

Juliet led her out of the room and into the kitchen, where a pan of eggs was already frying. Juliet acted as though the outburst from last night had never happened. Brittany followed her lead and didn't say anything about it.

"Aren't you coming with us?" Brittany asked as she sat at the small table.

"No. I'm going ahead with a few others and preparing everything for your arrival. We haven't been there in a while and the place could do with a cleaning."

"Where is this place?"

"It's called the Hydra. It was previously used to study and experiment on sea animals. There's also a medical room there."

"For Ben," Brittany supplied.

Juliet looked at her, surprised that she knew. "Yes, for Ben. His tumor is growing and getting more dangerous by the second. I'm a fertility doctor, not a surgeon. Ethan was our only surgeon, but he died." Juliet paused for a moment. "That's why Jack's coming. He's a spinal surgeon."

"Jack?" Brittany said in surprise. "I'm not sure that's a great idea. He didn't exactly warm up to Ben when we were in the hatch."

Juliet shrugged. "He may do it…with the proper persuasion." She handed Brittany her eggs, which she began to eat quickly.

"Do you know who else is coming?"

"Jack Shepard, Kate Austen, James Ford, and Hugo Reyes. Though we're sending Hugo back."

"Why?"

"To warn the rest of them not to follow us. Ben told me of Sayid Jarrah. I'd rather not have a man like that on my trail."

"They will anyway."

"Perhaps," was all Juliet said.

After she had finished her eggs, Juliet took her to the living room. She disappeared into her bedroom for a moment, then returned carrying a bundle of filthy rags. "Put these one. You can wear mine since I won't have to."

Brittany took the clothes, quirking an eyebrow. "Why am I putting these on?"

"To give them the allusion that we're weak," Juliet replied.

"Alright." Brittany couldn't argue with that. She left for the bathroom and changed into her clothes. When she was finished, she looked at herself in the mirror. "I've never looked better," she muttered.

Joining Juliet once more in the living room, Brittany found her holding some makeup used in plays and ballets. "I have to put this on you," she told her.

Juliet dapped makeup on her feet and hands and a little on her face. "There, you look just like one of us," Juliet sighed in satisfaction.

"Well, that's the idea," Brittany smiled.

A knock sounded on the door; shortly after, Ben walked in. "Good, you're ready. We're leaving." He was dressed in the same material as her. Brittany quietly laughed at the sight of his slight beer belly.

"Good luck," Juliet told her.

"See you later," Brittany nodded to her.

Ben held the door open for her and shut it after them. "We have to move quickly. They're arriving sooner than we expected." They stopped by the house Walt was in and waited for the guard to let him out.

When Walt spotted Brittany, he grinned and ran up to her. Brittany hugged him. "Hello, Walt," she laughed.

"Brittany! I haven't seen you in such a long time!" he smiled.

"I know. I've been away for awhile."

Walt then noticed Ben beside her and moved behind her in fear. Ben smiled at the boy, but Walt only cowered all the more.

"Don't worry, Walt. He's taking you to your dad," Brittany said happily.

Walt looked at Ben suspiciously. "No, he's not."

"I am, actually, Walt. If you don't believe me, then you can at least be assured by Brittany's presence. She's coming with us," Ben told him.

"Am I really going to see my dad?" Walt asked Brittany.

"Yup! He rescued me and Ben, you know." She left out the whole, _he had to kill two people in order to do so _part and merely smiled.

"Ben and I," Ben corrected.

"Whatever!" Brittany replied with a flick of her hand.

"Come along, Walt. Your father's waiting." Ben led them out of the village, where they met a small group of people. They joined forces and continued walking in the jungle. Since she had to walk barefoot, Brittany was having a hard time trying not to step on thorns and pointy sticks.

At long last, they reached a pier where a rusty old fishing boat awaited them. "All aboard!" One of the men shouted.

"That's a train, you dolt!" Brittany growled at him.

"…Oh," the man said dumbly.

Once everyone who was anyone boarded the boat, the dumb man started it up. "I want to drive!" Brittany whined, once the guy had gotten them moving.

"Er," the man said uncertainly.

"Let me!" She seized the wheel and accelerated. Letting out a wild laugh, she gripped the wheel tightly. The others were forced to hold on for dear life as she switched directions quickly and drove in circles.

"Brittany! Follow the coastline!" Ben ordered.

"Awe, man! Party pooper," Brittany muttered, slowing down. She drove them over to the pier, where a group of people including Tom, Bea, Alex, Danny, and others were holding Jack and other peeps at gunpoint.

With a huge splash, which soaked Danny completely, Brittany docked the boat. He growled at her and was about to yell something before Ben cut him off with a look.

"Oops! Sorry, Danny," she said innocently.

Ben jumped out of the boat and cat-walked down the pier. Brittany let out a wolf-whistle, to which Ben came to a halt and gave her a questioning look.

"Sorry," she whispered, forcing a serious expression on her face.

Ben turned back around and looked at the guests. He then turned to Michael, who was the only one not gagged. "Alright, let's get down to business, shall we?"

He then led Michael up to the boat. Brittany looked at those who were gagged and kneeling on the ground. She recognized Jack immediately and deduced that the female was Kate. The bigger man she assumed was Hugo, and the cowboy-looking one she guessed was James. There was also another kneeling figure, but Brittany could tell who it was, due to Danny being in the way.

Just then, a massive purple light filled the sky, along with a painful noise. Brittany looked up at the sky in amazement. "Everyone make a wish!" she said in a dreamy tone.

However, her voice wasn't the only one to say those words. With Danny now covering his ears in pain, Brittany was able to see the last kneeling person.

A familiar face stared back in disbelief at her. "Tamara?!" Brittany asked incredulously.

**AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I forgot all about the "Everyone make a wish!" joke. It comes from the Potter Puppet Pals episode "Wizard Angst," which can be found here: .com/watch?v=xD-Huwlg2kY There Fanfiction. I removed the hyperlink. Because you fail.**

**Ahem. Anyway, as always, a preview can be found on our profile. The next chapter is called "Held At Gunpoint" for lack of a better title. Ben and I gain an….interesting relationship that is one of the themes for this story.**


	15. Held at Gunpoint

**I just realized that I forgot this: Hey! Don't own LOST or any recognizable material. **

**This chapter is short, random, and starts off a really weird trend that is really fun to write.**

**Chapter 15: Held at Gunpoint (Tamara's chapter)**

Tamara didn't know how long she had been forced to stumble blindly through the jungle before she was forced to her knees on an uncomfortable hunk of wood. Her hood was ripped from her head by none other than the man Desmond had shot.

"Hey, remember me?" he snarled.

Tamara nodded rigorously. "Mmh! Mmore ma' guy 'Esmond 'hot," she said around her gag.

The guy scowled and removed her gag. "Care to run that by me again?"

"You're that guy Desmond shot!" Tamara exclaimed eagerly.

As the mean man opened his mouth to be mean, he suddenly got soaked in water as a boat pulled up to the dock. Tamara laughed at him and he growled.

"Sorry, Danny," a female voice said from the boat. At that moment, a man whom Tamara recognized came out onto the dock and somebody wolf-whistled. Tamara raised an eyebrow.

Michael strode forward. Suddenly, the sky turned a blinding shade of violet and a loud, painful noise assaulted their ears. "Everyone make a wish," Tamara said. Except that her voice wasn't the only one that said it. _Psh, some bitch totally stole my line! _She thought to herself.

"Tamara?" an incredulous voice asked.

"Brittany?" she asked.

"You're alive!" Brittany exclaimed excitedly.

"I know!" Tamara exclaimed, too.

"Danny,, untie her," the artist formerly known as Orange Shirt declared.

"Yeah, Danny, untie me," Tamara responded bossily.

Danny untied her and a girl whom Orange Shirt referred to as Alex led the girls to a place where they could get caught up.

"I made a Sims family, and that guy was in it. Except, I didn't know his name, so I just called him Orange Shirt!" Tamara said excitedly.

"You had a laptop! That's so unfair! All I had was a book and a deck of cards we never played with," Brittany pouted.

"Where have you been?" Tamara asked, crossing her legs.

"With Ben! In a hatch. Where he was called Henry Gale," Brittany responded.

"Ben plus Henry equals _Benry_!" Tamara exclaimed.

"Poor Ben," Brittany sighed.

"Whatever happened to your magical Scottish friend?" Brittany asked.

"Oh, you mean Desmond? He's not special enough to be here," Tamara replied, realizing that she really did miss him.

"We're leaving," Ben called. Tamara and Brittany scurried back to the dock. The boat was MIA.

"Where's the boat?" Brittany asked slowly.

Tamara found herself standing beside a dark woman with scary eyes. "I am Ms Klugh," she said ominously.

"Oh…kay," Tamara replied, edging away from her.

Meanwhile, Ben was saying, "Michael took the boat."

"So, we're swimming?" Brittany asked, plainly confused.

"Of course not!" Danny snapped. "We're taking the submarine."

"You have a submarine?" Tamara asked jealously.

"Cool!" Brittany exclaimed.

Suddenly, a submarine rose out of the water. "I'll drive!" Brittany chirped.

"No!" Ben and Danny said at the same time.

Tamara raised her eyebrows. "I admit your driving is a little unorthodox, but you're not _that _bad."

Brittany shrugged, whistling innocently. As they boarded the submarine, Brittany said, "Once we're done doing whatever it is we're doing, you can stay with me at some guy named Ethan's old home."

Tamara took a seat on one of the couches in the submarine. "What makes you think I'm going to stay?" she asked.

"Um, I don't know," Brittany said, clearly surprised that Tamara had even suggested the alternative. "Ben has electricity."

Tamara snorted. "I have a laptop," she said.

"Really? It survived the crash?" Brittany asked eagerly. Tamara just stared at her. Suddenly realizing her mistake, she affected a look of innocence. "I knew that," she added humbly.

"I gave it to Desmond to look after. You see, when Michael invited me on this journey, I wasn't expecting to get shocked and kidnapped by a bunch of complete lunatics!" Tamara exclaimed angrily.

"Ben's not a lunatic!" Brittany replied, just as angry. "Nor are his people!"

"He looks like that creepy guy from _Saw,_" Tamara said before she crossed her arms huffily and looked away from Brittany. Instead, she watched Ben's people. Apparently, Ben and Danny were too important to work, so they just stood about looking special. Ms Klugh and some fat guy who Tamara swore must have had a beard a second ago were fiddling with controls. The journey didn't take that long. Once they reached the pier of some other island, they disembarked.

"I'm sorry, I haven't formerly introduced myself. I'm Ben," said Ben.

"Whatever Benry," Tamara mumbled, shoving her way past him.

She was stopped by some other woman. "My name is Isabel," she said in a monotone. Then, she turned away.

"How odd," Brittany said from behind Tamara.

"Heh, she's our sheriff," the large man said with a stupid smile.

"Who's that?" Tamara asked Brittany quietly.

"That's Tom," Brittany said cheerfully.

"Alex, show these two to their home," Ben ordered. The girl led them away to a cozy home well hidden from any place. A blonde woman was inside, straightening things up.

"Hi, Juliet," Brittany greeted.

"Hi, Brittany. You must be Tamara," Juliet greeted.

"With the exception of Alex, you're the only normal person I've met thus far," Tamara answered. Juliet laughed.

"Well, I've got to go. A few ground rules. You're not to leave the area within the fence around this house. There are security cameras everywhere. We'll know if you violate the borders. Someone will come around every day to check on you," Juliet explained before slamming the door behind her.

"Man, and I was looking forward to visiting the Hydra," Brittany moaned.

"Maybe we can escape," Tamara said, perching herself on the arm of the couch.

The next day, Tamara woke before Brittany and took a shower. She made scrambled eggs, which woke Brittany well enough. The rest of the morning was spent searching for a secret passageway to the Hydra. Their search was interrupted by Danny, who had come to check up on them. As he was visiting, an extremely loud alarm rang out and Danny was forced to run off, cursing. Tamara and Brittany followed him. They paused near two cages where everyone appeared to be congregated. Giggling maniacally, they snuck by and soon found themselves in the Hydra. They came across Jack in a metal aquarium.

"Hi, Jack!" they both yelled at the same time, waving at him.

"What are you two doing here?" Ben said from behind them, causing them to jump guiltily.

"We were just-"

"-the alarm and-"

"-we were going to see what was going on-"

"Danny went too, you know!"

"-then we got lost-"

"I _really _think you oughta punish Danny. He just _left." _

"-and BAM! We found ourselves in here!" Brittany finished, gesticulating fiercely.

"Alex!" Ben called. Alex appeared.

"Yes, Dad?" she asked.

"Take these two back to their home!" he demanded.

As they left, Brittany said, "I think someone needs a hug!"

"I don't _want _a hug!" Ben exclaimed grumpily.

"Why did the alarms go off?" Brittany asked Alex once they were outside.

"Karl escaped his cage," Alex replied.

"Who's Karl?" Tamara asked.

"My boyfriend."

The next night, it was Alex who visited to check up on them. Brittany was already asleep. Tamara and Alex sat outside, talking.

"I don't like it here," Tamara said quietly.

"Then why are you still here?" Alex asked.

"Because I really don't feel like swimming that distance," Tamara said.

Alex laughed. "There's another way," she said seriously.

"Oh?"

Alex pulled a gun out of the back of her jeans. "I'm not killing anybody!" Tamara exclaimed. "Then I'll _really _be a felon!"

"I'm not asking you to," Alex said. She rose and handed Tamara the gun. "My father values his life highly. He's in the Hydra right now. The security cameras only cover the gate." And then Alex was gone.

It was now or never. Quickly, Tamara leapt over the fence and ran as quietly as she could, returning to the Hydra.

She entered and quietly took off her shoes. Peeking around the corner, Tamara caught a strange sight: Ben stood before a television set. The sound of what seemed to be a sports commentator poured from the speakers. Jack was mesmerized.

Tamara rolled her eyes and withdrew. What was it with men and sports? Creeping down the creepy corridor, Tamara found herself in a room made of television monitors. "Oooh," she said, fascinated.

Suddenly, Ben's voice erupted from behind her. "I must say, I'm not entirely surprised to see you here. Although, I'm quite curious to know how you got in here without anybody's knowledge."

"I Apparated," Tamara replied smoothly. "Please tell me you weren't showing Jack sports."

"I was. Baseball. The Boston Red Sox won the World Series," Ben answered.

Tamara snorted. "Yeah, right," she muttered.

"You don't believe me? I could show you," Ben said, quirking an eyebrow.

"That's quite alright," Tamara said in disgust. She turned her attention to the television monitors. "Wait a moment," she whispered, "that's _our _home! You've been spying on us!" she accused.

"Well, it is _my _home. I don't want you girls- wait, actually, mainly you because I don't know you at all – to steal my things," Ben explained.

Tamara peered more closely at the monitors. "Oh, yes," she said sarcastically, "I'm just going to waltz off with the shower!"

"A man has needs," Ben agreed.

"That's disgusting, Benry," Tamara sighed.

"Benry?" Ben chuckled. "Seriously, Tamara. Is there a _reason _you-er-Apparated into the Hydra?"

Tamara nodded. "I don't like it here, Benry. Let me go back. Please."

"I can't do that Tamara," Ben said coldly.

"You let Hurley go!" Tamara exclaimed furiously.

She turned away. As she turned away, she felt Ben's hand brush her back, and she processed something in a split second: he had spotted the gun. With lightning reflexes, she intercepted his arm and gained control of the gun. She slammed him against the wall and jabbed the gun at his throat, cutting off his air. "I had _really _hoped it wouldn't come to this, Benry," she snarled. "I want to return to the other island. You either let me go, or you die."

"As Tamara looked into Ben's eyes, she realized that she really _would _kill him in order to escape. "I'll give you until the count of three," she told him.

"You don't even know how to fire a gun," Benry said.

"Au contraire. My Scottish friend taught me how," Tamara replied, smiling nastily. "Now, I'm going to give you to the count of three. One," She widened her stance, "two," She cocked the gun. "Three."

**The pattern I mentioned: (actually, there's two) the one I had in mind when I wrote that first author's note was the moment that just took place. Tamara (my character) and Ben have a really weird relationship that remains the same throughout this story and the oneshots. We begin with lots of animosity, and then we just start picking fun at each other. So much fun to write. It's kind of like the girl and the boy in class that are always beating each other up, and you can't quite see why they're friends at all if they're so mean to each other.**

**The second, I hadn't thought about until I wrote it: Benry. In real life, I have a habit of calling Ben "Benry" or "Benryjamin." That's why, in the story, even when nobody is speaking, Ben is referred to as "Benry." In Brittany's chapters, he's just "Ben." When we're talking about LOST at school, I'll say "Benry" and Brittany will kind of look at me. Anyway, getting off track. My character continues to give Ben the weirdest nicknames in this story (and the oneshots) including: "Benry," "Benryjamin," "Benboozlement," and, the most recent (in a story about an Art gallery), "Benjuberee."**

**Yeah, weird. As always, preview on our page.**


	16. The Yellow Submarine

**Because this should've been done in the show.**

**Chapter 16: The Yellow Submarine (Brittany's chapter)**

A slight breeze stirred Brittany from her sleep. Opening her eye, she noticed that Tamara was missing from her bed. Frowning, she propped herself up on her elbows and looked around the shack, for shack it was. As were the rest of the houses. Brittany spotted Alex standing outside the door.

"Hey, Alex. Have you seen Tamara?" she asked.

Alex gave her an uncomfortable look. "She…uh…went somewhere."

"And you let her? No offense, Alex, but you're not a very good guard," Brittany smiled.

"She's taking care of something," Alex said uneasily.

"What's she doing?"

"Trying to get out of here." Alex remained mysterious.

Brittany thought for a moment. "Why? It's wonderful here. Besides, she can only go if Ben allows her to." Then it hit her. "She's going after Ben." Brittany knew she was right by the look of despair on Alex's face.

With a jolt of panic, she rushed down the path to the Hydra. Brittany slowed when she reached the creepy hallways and came to a halt when she heard voices in a room. Peering into the room she saw a stack of each showing a different room: both inside and out.

She then saw Tamara pressing Ben up against the wall. The image was rather naughty, which sent a bolt of jealousy through her. As Tamara counted to three, she realized that she was holding a gun to Ben's throat.

"Tamara!" Brittany cried, lunging forward. Tamara turned to her in surprise. Ben looked calm and as though he was expecting her.

Brittany grabbed the gun from her and shoved it in her pants. "What the hell is going on?" she exclaimed. "You're practically raping him and holding a gun to his throat. Lucy, you've got some 'Splainin' to do!"

"I want to go back to the beach," Tamara replied, letting go of Ben and stepping back. Ben straightened his shirt and looked at the two girls in interest.

"Why? Don't you want to stay with me?" Brittany asked.

"Well, yeah. But I just don't belong here. I don't adapt as easily as you do, Brittany," Tamara told her.

"So, you were going to kill him in order to flee?"

Tamara laughed. "Of course not. But wasn't it dramatic? Sheesh, that was such a Youtube moment. Thought I wouldn't say that for future events." She gave Ben a dark look.

"No more guns for you. You're too trigger-happy," Brittany scolded. "I'm grounding you!"

"You can't do that! You're not my mother," Tamara whined.

"Ah-ba-ba," Brittany silenced her. "I don't want to hear it. Go to the corner."

"But-"

"GO!"

Tamara pouted and stood in a corner, arms crossed. "Now, I want you to think over what you've done. Alright?"

"Sure." A second passed. "Alright, I thought it over."

"Sweet! You're ungrounded," Brittany said happily.

"Yay!" Tamara chirped, skipping back over to them. "Sorry about that, Benry!" she smiled at him.

"You're calling him Benry to his face?" Brittany asked in shock.

"Oh, yes," Tamara nodded eagerly. "It fits him perfectly."

Ben, who was watching them in amusement, was a bit irked by being renamed. "I assure you that my name is Benjamin. Not Benryjamin."

The girls laughed at that. "I like that better!" Tamara cried.

"Awe, Benryjamin," Brittany said in a high-pitched voice, stroking his hair like she would a dog. He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Er, right. Now, you two need to leave. You're not allowed down here. And I'll take that." Ben pulled the gun from Brittany's pants, making her blush slightly.

"But this doesn't solve my problem!" Tamara suddenly blurted out. "I want to leave."

Ben merely smirked at her. "I can't let you leave at the moment. Perhaps after a few weeks, you'll like it here. Until then, feel free to explore the island, but do not come back down here."

"Sure," Brittany shrugged.

"Whatever you say, Benry," Tamara sighed unhappily.

"Very well. Off you go then," he shooed them away. "Ah, Brittany, one moment please," Ben held up his hand.

Tamara frowned but walked out into the hall. "What's up?" Brittany asked.

He smirked at her instead. "Is that how you usually punish people?"

Brittany returned the smirk and said, "Oh, there's many forms of punishment, Ben." She winked and walked into the hall, leaving an amused and slightly puzzled Ben behind.

Once they reached outside once more, Tamara gave another sigh. "Man, I'm bored."

"Me, too. Wait, I just got a brilliant idea!" Brittany shouted.

"What is it?"

"Let's paint the submarine yellow!"

"YEAH!"

Giggling like mad, they made their way to where the submarine was docked. "We'll only be able to paint some of it, since the rest is all in the water," Brittany said, looking at the submarine in thought.

"Here's the paint. Juliet didn't ask what I needed it for, thankfully," Tamara added, handing Brittany a bucket.

"Alright, let's get started."

As they painted away, they designed suction cups using plunger heads. They attached them to their feet and hands. With this invention, they were able to stick to the submarine's curvy walls and paint them. While they worked, they sang:

_We all live in a yellow submarine  
A yellow submarine  
A yellow submarine  
We all live in a yellow submarine  
A yellow submarine  
A yellow submarine_

Tom, Ben, and Juliet joined them when they had finished putting the second coat on. Tom looked at the submarine in shock. "What the-?"

"It was the wrong color. So we fixed it," Brittany explained simply.

"I take it you're fans of The Beatles?" Ben smiled.

"Oh yeah!"

"Well, so much for our camouflage strategy," Ben sighed, tapping the submarine with his finger.

"Oh…oops," Tamara smiled sheepishly.

"But it's prettier now!" Brittany said in their defense.

"You must have been bored," Juliet noted with amusement.

"Well, after the incident with Tamara and Ben, I thought I'd best keep her away from other people so as to avoid the risk of her trying to rape more people." Brittany smiled sweetly.

"Hey!" Tamara cried. Brittany stuck her tongue out at her. Growling, Tamara pushed her off the submarine. With a yelp, Brittany fell into the water.

Surfacing, she gasped for air. "Tamara! It's fr-freezing!" she shivered.

"Well, you're mean!" Tamara shouted back.

"You didn't have to push me into the water," Brittany retorted, splashing her.

"Come one, Brittany. Let's get you dried up," Juliet said, helping her out of the water.

Just then, Tom's walkie-talkie emitted static. Frowning, he picked it up and said, "Tom here."

Ben looked at Tom, his brow furrowing and a look of questioning on his face.

"Tom! She's been shot! Bad!" someone cried into the walkie.

Ben seized the walkie from Tom then. "Who's been shot?" he demanded.

"Colleen! That woman, Kwon, shot her!"

"Is she alive?" Ben asked urgently.

"For now. But she won't stop bleeding, Ben. We're coming home now. She'll need instant medical attention."

"Very well, we'll be ready for her," Ben said, looking at Juliet.

The walkie-talkie silenced then, leaving a gloomy silence behind. Ben stood upright and started barking orders. "Tom! Get men down to the medical room and clean things up. Juliet, get what you need to operate on her. I hope you're not too rusty," he said with a smirk.

"What can we do?" Tamara asked, jumping down from the submarine.

"Help Tom and the others clean the medical room. Everything needs to be sterilized," Ben told them.

"The woman…Colleen, what was she doing? Who's Kwon?" Brittany asked him.

Ben only shook his head. "She was on a mission. It doesn't matter now, just go!"

They quickly followed after Tom into an abandoned part of the station. Guys were already there cleaning things off and bleaching things to death. "Come on, let's mop the floors." Brittany grabbed a mop and handed one to Tamara.

They danced around the room sweeping and mopping away when, before long, a rush of people entered the room Ben was talking to one of the guys urgently, looking at who Brittany guessed was Colleen. Danny was there as well, holding Colleen's hand in his. Apparently, they were married.

Juliet was in full doctor mode, telling people to clear out and hold bandages to the wound. Tom ushered Tamara and Brittany out of the room and led them upstairs where a gigantic window allowed them to see the scene below.

Ben joined them eventually, looking very uptight and anxious. As the minutes passed by, Colleen continued to bleed before them. Finally, Juliet left and walked off. "Where's she going?" Tamara asked, a confused look on her face.

"I think I have an idea," Ben said quietly, walking past them. Juliet returned with Jack in tow. "Are you out of your mind?" Ben asked her. "This is not the reason he was brought here for."

"Would you rather she died?" Juliet shot back.

Brittany and Tamara waved at Jack. He waved back and gave Brittany a warm smile. Ben seemed to notice this and his scowl grew. With a glare at Juliet, he left them and returned to his spot in the observation room above.

Jack entered the medical room and began to do doctorly things. Tom had a horror-struck look on his face and was gripping his walkie talkie. Tamara was watching what went on below in interest. Ben had such a look of intensity on his face that Brittany was surprised that the glass didn't shatter from such a look. He was also breathing heavily, though by the way his hands were squeezed tightly in fists, Brittany could tell he was trying to calm himself.

"Hey," Brittany whispered, walking over to him. His expression didn't change, only his eyes followed her movements. She put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. "If Jack can't save her, it wasn't your fault."

Whether this comforted him or not, Brittany didn't know. All Ben did was return his gaze to those below them, tight-lipped.

The minutes passed, and as Jack lowered his head in defeat, and the heart monitor continued to flatline, Brittany's hand slipped from Ben's shoulder.

"She's dead," Jack said simply. Danny had joined them up in the observation room, and although Brittany really didn't like him, she felt bad for the man. That was, until he started shouting angrily.

"They did this!" he yelled.

Tom tried to calm him down, but Danny was beyond control.

"They're not all bad," Tamara said in defense.

"Oh, no! Killing people is an everyday thing now, is it?" Danny said sarcastically.

"All I meant was that not everyone on that island are killers," Tamara replied coldly.

"Well, I know one who is," Danny whispered vehemently, moving close to her face. With a glare at everyone, Danny stormed out of the room.

"Should I go after him?" Tom asked Ben.

"No, let him be. We'll have to make arrangements for her body," Ben said quietly, his eyes never leaving Colleen's body.

"I'll see to it," Tom grunted, and left.

"Ben?" Brittany said, looking at him in concern.

"He couldn't save her," he said in a far away voice.

"I think you should get out of here. Get some fresh air," Brittany told him.

He nodded slowly and walked off. Brittany swore she could see the slight sigh of defeat by the way his shoulders slumped.

"Brittany, we'd better go after Danny. I've got a bad feeling," Tamara mumbled.

"Okay," Brittany frowned, confused.

It was raining outside heavily. They followed Danny's footprints to an area Brittany hadn't seen before. Two large cages were on opposite sides of the dirt path. The woman named Kate saw them and cried, "Stop him! He's beating Sawyer!"

That was when they found Danny. He was punching Sawyer and screaming at Kate, "Do you love him?"

"Oi, Danny!" Brittany yelled. "Let him go!"

"Do you love him?" Danny punched Sawyer again.

"Yes, I do!" Kate sobbed.

Danny stopped then, and released Sawyer. "Put him in his cage," he growled as he passed by them.

"I really don't like him," Tamara snarled.

"Me neither," Brittany agreed.

They cautiously approached Sawyer, who was knocked out, lying against the bars that held Kate. She was crying and stroking his hair.

"Is he alright?" Kate sobbed.

Brittany looked at the man named Sawyer and shrugged. "Seems alright to me. He'll have one big bruise though."

"Let's put him in the cage," Tamara grunted, lifting him up and propping his arm over her shoulder. Brittany followed suit, and together they carried him into the cage. The keys were on the ground in the mud, almost buried completely. They rested him against the far back bars out of the rain.

He opened an eye and grunted. "Hello, sweetcheeks," he said to Tamara.

"Hey, Sawyer," Tamara smiled.

Sawyer looked up at Brittany, and his face darkened. "Who are you?"

"This is Brittany, my friend," Tamara introduced.

"So, you're the one who left the coop with old bug eyed," Sawyer mumbled.

Brittany raised an eyebrow. "Bug-eyed?"

"He's talking about Ben," Tamara explained.

"That's not very nice," Brittany frowned at him.

Sawyer ignored her. "What have they done to _you_?"

Tamara shrugged. "Nothing."

He snorted. "They've got me and Freckles doing yard work. We're making some sort of road. Ole Sparky there enjoys tazering me."

"I'll tell Ben about him," Brittany told him.

"Like that's going to help." Sawyer rolled his eyes.

"Brittany!" Ben's voice shouted out.

"Speak of the devil," Sawyer said loudly.

Ben picked up the keys that were in the mud and took a step into the cage. "Hello, James," he greeted.

"What do you want?" Sawyer spat.

"Nothing from you, at the moment," Ben replied. "I was actually looking for these two." He looked at the girls.

"Ben, Danny was wailing on Sawyer. He could have killed him!" Brittany exclaimed.

Ben paused. "I'll talk to him. Juliet's waiting inside. We're preparing for Colleen's funeral."

"A funeral? You mean one of yous died?" Sawyer asked incredulously.

Ben ignored him. "You're soaked." He was looking at Brittany. She looked down and saw that he was correct. Her clothes were completely soaked through, as were Tamara's.

"So I am," Brittany smirked.

Ben was getting soaked through as well. His normally spiky hair was now starting to droop and cling to his face. His clothes were also clinging to him in areas that made Brittany blush when she looked him over.

"Why don't you two go inside and dry up? I'll take care of things here."

"Thanks Ben," Brittany smiled.

"No problem." He returned the smile.

Tamara and Brittany walked back into the station, where they were met by Juliet. "You guys are so we," she said with a laugh.

"Yeah, we noticed," Tamara snorted.

"Come on, let's get you two dried up. Did Ben tell you about the funeral?" Juliet asked.

"Yes."

"Your clothes are waiting in your house."

"Wait, what clothes?" Tamara asked.

"The clothes we wear to funerals," Juliet explained.

"Oh, okay."

They walked back to their shack and noticed that Alex had left. As they entered, they saw on each of their beds white clothes were folded on them.

"What are these?" Tamara laughed, holding them up.

"They look like sauna robes!" Brittany exclaimed.

"No, they look like pajamas. We're going to have a pajama party!" Tamara shouted.

"Whoo!" Brittany cried.

They eagerly changed into the white clothing and ran around the room giggling. "Eek! This shows _way _too much cleavage!" Brittany squeaked, pulling up her shirt.

"Yeah, well, I'm not surprised. Ben seems to be quite the pervert," Tamara grumbled.

"Isn't he?" Brittany said dreamily.

"What is it with you?!" Tamara asked incredulously.

"Hmm? What?" Brittany snapped out of it.

"Nothing," Tamara sighed, rolling her eyes.

They spent the rest of the day inside, catching up on what had occurred to the both of them over the past few weeks. "So, Desmond. How is he?" Brittany asked, giving Tamara a pointed look.

"He's cool," Tamara shrugged.

"Mmhmm," Brittany egged her on.

"He has a girlfriend," Tamara told her.

"Darn. Sucks for you," Brittany said happily.

"Uh-huh. What about you and Ben?" Tamara smirked.

Brittany blushed. "Nothing's happening. He's a bit too…cold and distant."

"Distant…right. Well, he doesn't seem to be so distant when he's constantly staring at you."

"He is?" Brittany asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, I thought you would have noticed by now."

"He's very secretive," Brittany said in her defense.

"Are you talking about me?" Ben's voice floated over to them.

"You don't knock?" Brittany retorted.

"Not usually," Ben shrugged. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be," Tamara chirped.

He was dressed in the sauna as well. "So, nice funeral wear," Brittany commented as they walked toward the Hydra.

"It's our tradition. Jacob doesn't believe in burying the dead for parasites and worms to feast upon. We send them out to sea instead," Ben told them.

"Who's Jacob?" Tamara asked.

Ben turned to her and gave her a sharp look. "Jacob is everything. He is the reason you are all here."

"Right, well, remind me to thank him," Tamara mumbled.

"Where is he?" Brittany inquired. "I haven't met anyone named Jacob yet."

Ben paused and said hesitantly, "he's not here. He only shows himself to those who are ready to see."

"Oh…kay," Brittany said slowly, confusion clearly on her face.

"Why are we going to Jack's room?" Tamara asked.

"I thought he might like to come to the funeral," Ben said dismissively. He opened the door and led them inside.

Jack was doing pull-ups on a bar as they walked in. "Bored, Jack?" Brittany smiled.

Jack returned the smile. "I have to stay in shape."

Ben shut the door rather loudly behind them. "Hello, Jack."

Jack frowned. "Hello, Ben."

"Would you like to come outside with us?" Ben asked.

Jack let out a dry laugh.

"What's so funny, Jack?" Ben smirked.

"Well, you say that like you're not going to just throw a bag over my head if I say now," Jack said, dropping from the bar.

"Then don't say no." Ben let out a quiet laugh.

He handed Jack the clothing. "I'll wait outside."

"No, really?" Tamara rolled her eyes.

"Do I sense the slash Gods striking?" Brittany looked around suspiciously.

Jack completely ignored them and began stripping off his clothes. "Does it hurt?" he asked absently.

"I'm sorry?" Ben said, turning around.

"Your neck. Does it get stiff?"

Brittany thought she saw Ben pale. "I'm afraid I don't follow you."

"You have a tumor on your spine. I don't know how long it's been there, but it needs to be operated on." Jack pulled his shirt completely off and reached for the white robe more slowly than was necessary, flexing his muscles as he did so.

He caught Brittany staring at him and gave her a warm smile. Brittany blushed and looked away.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Ben laughed dryly.

Jack shrugged. "Alright."

Ben watched him warily and walked in between Jack and Brittany. They walked out of the Hydra and down a sandy path to the beach. Torches were lit and everyone was in white. Colleen's body was laid on a platform facing the ocean.

"That's far enough, Jack," Ben told him. Jack stopped and two guards stood beside him. "Ladies, if you'd kindly join me," Ben said to them. They followed him to the platform where everyone was waiting. Everyone except for Juliet. Brittany saw her talking to Jack before joining them.

"What's up?" she whispered to her.

"Just telling Jack it wasn't his fault," she replied without looking at her.

Ben started to talk then, the usual boring, 'she was a good person, we shall always miss her' crap, which Brittany quickly turned out.

"I'm bored," Tamara mumbled to her.

"Me, too. And my feet are being swallowed by the sand." Brittany looked down at her feet.

Suddenly, Brenda Lee's voice came out of nowhere singing 'I Wonder.'

"I love this song!" Brittany exclaimed.

She gently swayed to the music and watched Danny and the others push Colleen out into the ocean. Shifting her gaze, Brittany saw Ben talking to Juliet with a confused look on his face.

Realizing that the funeral was pretty much over, Brittany grabbed Tamara and started dancing with her to the remainder of the song.

Their dance was short-lived, however, as Jack cut in. "May I have a dance?" he asked Brittany.

"Oh…er, alright," she said nervously.

Tamara took a few steps back, looking at them suspiciously.

Jack took her hand gently and placed his other around her waist. Brittany placed her remaining hand on his shoulder. "You know, I feel a little awkward dancing at a funeral," Jack admitted.

"It doesn't seem like anyone cares," Brittany said, looking around.

But someone did. Ben was watching them, a look of pure fury on his face. He stalked over to them and glared. "So, you think now is the greatest time for a romantic night?"

Jack pulled away from her and looked down shamefully. Brittany was looking at Ben closely. He was glaring at Jack, but didn't meet her eyes.

"Aw, is someone jealous?" Brittany grinned, nudging him.

"Please, jealousy is a disease of the flesh. Besides, we've already had a dance," Ben smirked.

"When?" Jack demanded.

"Actually, it was while we were in your hatch." Ben turned to Jack.

"Oh," Jack said in surprise.

"Brittany, may I talk to you for a moment?" Ben pulled her aside. "I'm going to con James tomorrow. Would you like to be a part of it?"

"Sure. Sounds fun!" Brittany grinned.

"Good," Ben smiled. "Just follow my lead and don't tell him."

"Well, obviously," Brittany rolled her eyes. Then something hit her. She looked around in panic. "Where's Tamara?"

**We find out what I'm doing next chapter. Also, Brittany accidentally switched a couple of episodes around. Oh well. Next chapter: Tamara gets a new pet, and two fan favorites are introduced.**

**Preview on our profile!**


	17. Roger Workman

**There is a very real chance that I will offend a lot of you people with something in the beginning. Sorry about that. Just remember, this story is not in any way meant to be taken seriously. **

**Chapter 17: Roger Workman (Tamara's chapter)**

Tamara felt insulted. Jack had _totally _just cut in on her amazing dance. However, the interruption gave her an opportunity. While Brittany, Jack, and Ben were occupied, she slipped away, ninja-like. Quietly, she made her way to the water, passing some of the unnamed people who were celebrating (is this how they mourn? Or was Colleen just really hated?). Unnoticed, she slipped into the freezing ocean. Ducking her head down below, she began to swim towards the distant island. Her heroic swim was interrupted when she hit her head on Colleen's boat. Opening her mouth to swear, she promptly swallowed a lot of salt water. Raising her head, she coughed and grimaced at the smell from Colleen's corpse.

Tamara was struck by an idea. Glancing at the shore, she was glad to see that everyone was leaving. Peeking around, she capsized the boat and dumped Colleen's body into the water. Her conscious scolded her. "What? She's not gonna need it," Tamara said defensively.

It wasn't hard to find her way back to the dock. Of course, when she stepped out of the boat, she remembered that she didn't know how to get to the others' camp. Luckily, she had common sense on her side, and she knew the first step was to get of the dock. So she walked off the dock, trailing wet footprints. When she finally reached the end of the dock, she paused, staring at the daunting rocky ground. "Couldn't those people wear _shoes _to their funerals?" she demanded aloud. Despite the excruciating pain of the rocks, she made her way slowly across the sand. Soon, Tamara became aware of several rundown looking huts. She stopped, wondering if these huts belonged to the Others. It wasn't worth the risk. Tamara broke into a run across the dirt and rock combination. "Ow ow ow ow ow ow…" she muttered as she rushed towards the jungle, terrified of getting caught.

At last, after running for a long time, she collapsed on the ground, whimpering and rubbing her bleeding feet. Tamara took a bit of time to relax and start thinking about what to do. Assuming that she had followed the shoreline in her rush to get away from the mysterious huts, all she had to do was travel in a straight line to reach the beach of the plane crash survivors. Sighing, she heaved herself to her feet and continued through the darkness, wanting nothing more than to see a familiar face.

As dawn approached, Tamara came across a strange sight: a long line of black pillars

"These can't just be here for decoration," she mused, hands on her hips. Feeling defeated, Tamara sat on the ground, glaring defiantly at the line of pillars, arms crossed. "Hmph," she said bitterly. Glancing at the ground, she spotted movement of a tropical island creature. Not caring what the creature was, she grabbed it and tossed it unceremoniously across the fence. She waited. And waited. Nothing happened.

"Oh boy!" she exclaimed gleefully. Quickly, she jumped to her feet and rushed in between two pillars. Collapsing on the ground, she realized that the tropical island creature was actually a white bunny rabbit with the number sixteen painted in black on its back. "I'm sorry!" Tamara exclaimed to the bunny, picking it up. "What are you doing out here?" she cooed. "You're going to be my new partner in crime. Brittany didn't work out so well."

Tamara rose to her feet and carried her new pet towards the trees. "You need a name," she declared as she entered the trees. "How about Peter? For Peter Cottontail?"

Tamara and Peter made their way through the jungle, stopping to rest on occasion. On one of these occasions, Tamara noticed that there was absolutely no sound coming from the jungle, which was quite odd. Normally, the jungle was alive with the sound of music. Suddenly, there was a ginormous crash. Tamara leapt to her feet, clutching Peter to her chest. The crashing sound came again. Through a gap in the trees, Tamara caught a glimpse of a column of black smoke, with random swirling white flashes. It was moving closer, quickly.

"Bloody hell," Tamara swore before turning on her heel and running for her life. She took a very detoured path through the jungle. At last, she reached a niche of trees. She practically flew into it. The creature couldn't fit, apparently, so it settled for making flashes as though it were taking her picture. Thrilled, Tamara began to make all sorts of ridiculous poses. She smiled, gave her 'sexy look,' and batted her eyelashes.

Then the monster stormed off. "Geez, I think Betty is cheating on George with Mr. Johnson," Tamara said, once she was sure the monster was gone. For the rest of the journey, Tamara was constantly on the look out. Consequently, when a thickly accented voice said, "Freeze!" Tamara screamed.

"Who are you?" the man asked, pointing a gun at her.

"Hey, I know you!" a bald man said.

"R-really?" Tamara asked.

"You're Desmond's friend!"

"Oh, yeah! You're Knob!" Tamara said, forgetting all about the man with the gun.

"Huh?" 'Knob' asked.

"Oh, that's not right…Locke!" Tamara exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Locke said happily.

"What are you doing out here?" Tamara asked.

"We're on a mysterious trip," the foreign man said, rolling his eyes at Locke.

"We're looking for Eko's stick," Locke said.

"Can't he look for his own stick?" Tamara asked, perplexed.

"Not anymore. He's dead," the foreign man said.

Tamara gasped, and her eyes filled with tears. "Eko's dead?" Then she frowned. "Who's Eko?"

"Nevermind," Locke said with a sigh.

"Well, is this his stick?" Tamara asked, lifting a foot off a strange, discolored branch with writing on it.

"So it is," Locke said cheerfully. "Come along, Sayid. Let's get back to the others!"

"What others?" Tamara asked him as they made off.

"Um, Nikki, Paulo, and Desmond," Locke replied.

"Desmond?" Tamara asked, lighting up. They made their way into a clearing with three people. Well, four. But one was dead. The first person Tamara noticed was a very sober looking Desmond. She threw herself into his arms and gave him a great big hug.

When she released him, he asked her with his amazing accent, "Where have you been? Hurley said you weren't coming back!"

"Well, I don't think Benry planned on my returning," Tamara admitted, "but I'm like Houdini. I escaped in a very clever way."

"I'm sure you did," Desmond said, rolling his eyes.

"What _are _you wearing?" a bitchy looking woman suddenly said.

Tamara scowled at her. "I was just on my way to change, Miss…uh…"

"Fernandez. Nikki Fernandez."

"Whatever," Tamara said, not caring. "I'll see you later," she said to Desmond. As she turned to leave, she suddenly remembered. "Peter!" she called, searching for her rabbit. She found him sniffing a snooty looking man with perfect hair.

"Ugh…" he said intelligently as Tamara scooped up Peter in her arms.

Tamara then flounced off to the beach, where she raided Kate's things and pulled on a pair of jeans, a purple tank top, and grabbed a pair of hiking boots. She was going to search for fresh water so she could wash off her dirty feet. Making her way slowly through the jungle, she magically came upon a magical land where bunnies were hopping about, the birds were chirping, and there was a happy unicorn in the background. Or not. In fact, she came upon an area with caves and freshwater. She stripped out of her clothes; she had been wearing her bikini ever since she had gotten on the rowboat with Brittany. Ew. The water was freezing, but it was also very soothing.

However, she didn't get long before Desmond came searching for her. "Are you going to tell me then?" he began, crouching at the edge of the spring.

"Tell you what?" Tamara asked, brushing her hair out of her face.

"What happened. With the Others," Desmond said.

Tamara thought, biting her lower lip. "I'll tell you my story if you tell me yours," she said, feeling a bit of déjà vu.

"Okay," Desmond agreed.

"You'll only tell me your story if you get in here," Tamara added, gesturing to the spring.

Desmond took off his shirt and boots and slid into the water. "Well, John and I decided it was time to stop pushing the button in the hatch-,"

"I'm already lost," Tamara broke in. "What button and what hatch?"

"There's a station on this island-,"

"The Hydra?" Tamara interrupted again.

"The Swan," Desmond corrected her.

"Never heard of it," Tamara shrugged. "Go on."

"Well, in this hatch, there was an alarm that went off every 108 minutes. In order to make it stop, you had to enter numbers into a computer," Desmond explained. "John and I wanted to see what would happen if we let the timer get all the way down to zero-,"

"That was stupid of you," Tamara pointed out.

"Indeed," Desmond agreed grimly. "However, when the timer was getting low, I discovered, through a series of enlightening flashbacks, that when I killed Kelvin, I had let the timer get down to zero. That was September 22, 2004, the day Oceanic Flight 815 crashed. I discovered that I had crashed their plane," Desmond finished dramatically.

Tamara backed away from him. "You're bad luck!" she teased. "Then what happened?" she asked, all seriousness.

"Well, once again, through flashbacks, I recalled a fail safe key that I could use to make the whole thing go away," Desmond continued.

"And you didn't use it before because…." Tamara asked.

Desmond opened his mouth to answer, and then he shut it again, looking baffled. "I don't know," he answered frankly.

"So, you turned it. What happened?" Tamara prodded.

"Hurley told me that the island shook and the bloody sky turned purple!" Desmond exclaimed over the pounding of the water.

"Oh! So _that's _what happened!" Tamara exclaimed.

"You saw that?" Desmond asked, stunned.

"Yeah! Right before we were captured!" Tamara replied.

"So, your turn," Desmond said.

"Well, after discovering that Michael was betraying us, Jack was all, 'I have a plan! Blah blah blah,'" she sighed, annoyed. "We came upon this place full of sucky tubes."

"Full of _what_?" Desmond asked.

"You know, those fun bank tubes," Tamara explained.

"Oh! The pneumatic tubes!" Desmond replied.

"Well, I thought they were cool. Jack, however, was like, 'We are nowhere near the beach!' Then we were captured and Benryjamin catwalked out to us on this random dock."

"_Who_?" Desmond asked.

"Remember that time when we had the boat that I think got boatnapped?"

"My pirate vessel got stolen?" Desmond asked, shocked.

"I don't know," Tamara shrugged. "Anyway, we magically found Brittany and that guy in the orange shirt, and then they evaporated…"

"Yeah," Desmond said slowly.

"Well, the man in orange was the leader. His name is Ben; I call him Benry," Tamara explained.

"You know what? I'm not even going to ask," Desmond sighed.

"Good. Stop interrupting. So, anyway-," Tamara began.

"Not fair! You kept interrupting me!" Desmond interrupted.

"Shut up or I'm going to forget what I'm gonna say," Tamara snapped. "So, Brittany was magically at the dock as well, so I went to a magical other island. Everyone there was rather frightening or odd; that guy that you randomly shot was there, and boy was he _pissed_! Then there was this random lady who just _stared _at me, and then she said, all dramatic like, 'My name is Ms Klugh.' Then there was a lady who was all, 'I am Isabel,' and then she walked away. And then this bloke named Tom was all, 'Heh! She's our sheriff!' In fact, the only normal people was some teenager named Alex and some lady a few years older than me named Juliet. So, one day, I tried to kill Ben. Then Brittany put me in time out. Then we painted the submarine yellow. Then, Colleen died. Now, here I am!" Tamara finished hastily.

Desmond stood in the water, stunned. "Wow," he said at last. "Sounds like you had quite an adventure!"

"Eh. It was okay," Tamara shrugged.

"Why'd you come back? I thought you'd be happy to see Brittany," Desmond asked.

"Well, I was. But I hated that other random island!" Tamara answered. "Anyway, who knows what kind of tomfoolery you'd get up to with me gone."

"No tomfoolery today, Tamara!" Desmond said shortly. "I mean, seriously! I got discharged from the army, my life sucks, I can't hold down a girlfriend, and I'm surrounded by-," Desmond didn't get a chance to finish his rant because Tamara ducked his head under the water.

He came up to Tamara's laughter. "You're sweet, Desmond," she said, smiling. She took his face in her hands and kissed him. He kissed her back. Their bodies were pressed close. At last, Desmond pulled away, looking shocked.

"Wow," Tamara gasped. "I'm sorry about that."

"You're nice and everything. I like you. But, I have Penny waiting for me," Desmond said, looking depressed.

"Really, it's fine," Tamara sad, hoisting herself out of the spring and getting dressed. Desmond hoisted himself out of the water as well. "I'll be seeing you," she said before turning and hurrying towards the beach.

The next morning, Tamara awoke in Kate's tent feeling thoroughly depressed. Instead of going out and greeting the day, she decided to go through Kate's things. Apparently, Tamara had gotten lucky; Kate appeared to be the most profitable of the survivors. She had shirts and jeans. And more shirts and jeans. Tamara went through her wardrobe and took the things she wanted and discarded the hideous stuff she didn't want. At last, she rose and limped across the beach.

Spotting Hurley and some other guy loitering near a tent, she approached them. "Hey, Hurley, do you know where to get any bandages?"

Hurley looked up, clearly surprised. "Charlie," he whispered in an undertone, "do you see the short brunette standing there? I mean, she's not just a figment of my imagination, right?"

"I see her," the man named Charlie whispered.

Tamara was still caught on Hurley's comment. "A figment of your imagination?!" she said indignantly.

"Yeah, here's some bandages, dude," Hurley said, handing over the aforementioned bandages.

Tamara sat down and began to wrap them around her poor wittle injured feet. "So, whose stuff are you gentlemen raiding?" she asked.

"Sawyer's," Charlie said. Tamara realized that Charlie was British.

"And I thought _Kate _was prosperous," Tamara muttered."Can I ask you guys a question?"

"Sure thing man," Hurley said.

"When your plane crashed, where were you guys flying from?" she asked.

"Sydney," Charlie responded.

"Australia?"

"Yes," Charlie said slowly.

"So, how come I've met an Iraqi, a British guy, a couple of Spanish idiots with perfect hair, a Scottish guy-,"

"Dude, Desmond doesn't count," Hurley interrupted.

Tamara smiled. "And I haven't met _one _bloody Australian?"

"Claire's Australian," Charlie said.

"And she's the only one?"

"Yeah, I think so," Charlie said after a bit of thinking.

"And how come none of the survivors are missing limbs?" Tamara asked.

Before Charlie and Hurley could answer, Desmond magically appeared. "I need you. Both of you," he said, nodding to Charlie and Hurley. He then left. Tamara sighed. Desmond hadn't even acknowledged her. Hurley and Charlie left with Desmond, and Tamara rose and walked over to a blonde woman with a baby.

"Hi," she greeted her.

"Hi," the woman responded in an Australian accent.

"Are you Claire?" Tamara asked.

"Yes, I am," Claire answered. "This is Aaron," she gestured to her baby.

"I'm Tamara," Tamara introduced herself.

"Well, I'm about to take a swim, so if you'll excuse me, I've got to find Sun," Claire said.

"It's up there, Legolas," Tamara said, pointing to the sky.

"No, _Sun, _the person," Claire said, laughing.

"I'm right here," an accented voice said from behind Tamara. Tamara turned and saw a Korean woman.

"I'm Sun," the woman introduced herself.

"Tamara," Tamara replied, smiling. "Where's Claire?" she asked suddenly.

"She's taking a swim," Sun replied, pointing to Claire.

Suddenly, Desmond came racing by, followed by Charlie, Hurley, Locke, and Sayid. Charlie paused by Sun. "Where's Claire?" he asked.

"She went for a swim. I offered to watch the baby," Sun explained. Charlie raced after Desmond, who was swimming in the ocean. He soon returned with an unconscious Claire and a frantic Charlie.

Desmond began to administer CPR to Claire with Tamara and Charlie hovering over her. She coughed and spit up some water. "Oh, she's alive!" Tamara said happily.

Desmond heroically lifted Claire and carried her back to her tent.

Later, Tamara was returning from a "shower" at the caves when she spotted Claire leaving Desmond. She made her way to Desmond's tree. Knocking on the bark, she said, "Can I come in?"

Desmond looked around, clearly startled. "Oh, hi," he smiled. Tamara approached him and sat on the sand.

"Why don't you have a tent?" Tamara asked. "There are still two left over."

"What happens when they come back?" Desmond asked cynically.

"I _told _you! They're on another island! Kate and Sawyer are in cages. A loud alarm goes off every time they escape. Meanwhile, Jack is underwater in the Hydra!" Tamara explained.

"Well, they could escape the same way you did!" Desmond replied.

"Impossible!" Tamara scoffed.

"Why?" Desmond asked.

"I escaped at Colleen's funeral. They do this Lord of the Rings thing and sacrifice their dead to the sea. I stole Colleen's boat!"

"My God," Desmond whispered.

Tamara scowled. "She didn't need it!" she said defensively. Getting bored with the conversation, she said, "Do you still have my laptop?"

"Oh!" Desmond said after a while. "Yes, it's in my bag!" he handed over a bag and Tamara almost immediately found her laptop folded in a ginormous tie-dye T-shirt.

Holding it up, she asked Desmond, "What is this?"

Desmond grabbed it from her and gave her a "look." "It's Hurley's. And I don't want to talk about it!"

"Whatever," Tamara said, rising and nodding to Desmond. She sat down in the very back of her tent, closing the flaps. Eagerly, she turned her laptop on and went to sign on to AOL. However, she found that AOL was replaced by something called IOL.

"What the heck?" she whispered to herself, clicking on it.

Suddenly, a voice she recognized blared from the speakers. "Deal with it quietly. I am rehearsing and will not tolerate _interuptioooooooon!_"

Tamara clapped her hands eagerly. "Yay, Count Olaf!"

Tamara soon discovered that this new IOL stood for "Island Online," and that it had screen names for people Tamara didn't know. "JulietB14," she read aloud. Shrugging, she clicked on the name.

Lost4evr14: Who is this?  
JulietB14: Tamara! You've discovered IOL!  
Lost4evr14: So I have  
Lost4evr14: Do you guys have Myspace?  
JulietB14: Of course. I'll find you and ask you to be my friend!  
Lost4evr14: Yay!  
Lost4evr14: Why do you guys have internet service?  
JulietB14: Idk. We all have a screen name tho  
Lost4evr14: REALLY?! What's Ben's?  
JulietB14: ZepHindleIsSexxi  
Lost4evr14:…  
JulietB14: I know  
Lost4evr14: Well, ttyl!

Tamara clicked out of her conversation with Juliet and typed in Ben's screen name.

Lost4evr14: hey!  
ZepHindleIsSexxi: ugh, go away traitor  
Lost4ever14: you're still alive, aren't you, jackass?  
Auto-message: ZepHindleIsSexxi is offline. They will receive your IMs when they sign back on  
Lost4evr14: I hate you.

Very confused, Tamara signed off and shut her laptop. With a sigh, she lay on her back and stared at the roof of her tent.

The next morning, Tamara was eating breakfast at the "kitchen," with a black woman named Rose and her husband Bernard. "So, where are you guys from?" Tamara asked around a mouthful of what she had christened "Dharma-O's."

"We're from New York," Bernard answered.

"What about you, honey?" Rose asked.

"Well, I grew up in Michigan. After I graduated from college- well, actually, after Brittany graduated from college- I had been at work as an actress for about a year- we went on a trip around the world. One of our places was New York, where we put on a window puppet show," Tamara said.

Suddenly, Hurley came running up. "Hey! I found a _car _in the jungle! And we can get it started! Who wants to help me?!"

Before Tamara could eagerly raise her hand, Paulo said coldly, "Why would we want to start a car?"

"Because it'll be _fun_!" Hurley and Tamara said at the same time.

Everyone all departed with varying looks of, "No, I'm too boring to have fun!" Everyone except a Korean guy.

"This is Jin," Hurley said to Tamara happily. "I'm gonna go fetch Charlie. He's depressed.

"Why is he depressed?" Tamara asked Jin, who shrugged.

"Dude, he doesn't speak English," Hurley said as he made his way to Charlie.

"I love charades!" Tamara said cheerfully. Shortly, Hurley returned with Charlie and led them into the jungle, where they came upon an amazingly sideways hippie-van.

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind them. "Sawyer!" Tamara exclaimed happily.

"Dude, you're alive!" Hurley cried, giving Sawyer the hug of death.

"Well, I'll be damned. Ya'll found yourselves a hippie car!" Sawyer said.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Tamara exclaimed. Jin jabbered something in Korean.

"Wanna help us?" Hurley asked.

Sawyer assisted in the turning upright of the van. Hurley and Sawyer went in. Tamara shoved herself in between them. "Easy there, Buttercup!" Sawyer teased.

"Buttercup? Isn't that a character in Super Smash Bros. Melee- Oh, no, it's the name of a horse in Barbie Race and Ride!" Tamara said. Turning her attention to the van, she caught sight of a skeleton. Sawyer and Hurley attempted to pull it out.

"Hello…Roger," Hurley said. As Sawyer and Hurley pulled Roger from the van, his head fell off. "We'll get that later." Again, Sawyer and Hurley peeked inside. "Dude, Roger was on a beer run."

"Seriously though, how did all those vines get in the engine?" Tamara asked Hurley as the peered into the van.

Meanwhile, Sawyer and Jin were chugging beer with Roger. Sawyer was giving Jin "English" lessons. "Beer," Sawyer said, holding up his beer can. "Car," he hit the side of the car. Pointing to Hurley, he proclaimed, "International House of Pancakes!"

"Maybe you can help me!" Tamara said, sitting next to Sawyer. "Is there an IHOP in Russia?"

"I wouldn't know," Sawyer mused, taking a sip of beer.

"Ew. That stuff is like a bajillion years old," Tamara grimaced.

"Skeletor seems to like it," Sawyer shrugged.

"His name's not 'Skeletor!' It's Roger Workman," Hurley said.

"It's Work _Man,_" Sawyer laughed. "He was the Dharma janitor."

Sawyer wasn't listening after that. He had returned to teaching Jin English. Jin's next lesson was "The three things a woman needs to hear: I'm sorry, you were right, and those pants don't make you look fat."

However, Hurley and Charlie decided that they could start the car. Tamara, Sawyer, and Jin pushed them. When the car got started, they joined Charlie and Hurley, along with a dog named Vincent.

Poor Roger was left behind.

**If the ending seems rushed, that's because it is. No preview this time, because I don't have the time to type it.**

**Next chapter: Brittany's take on I Do, up until Stranger in a Strange Land**


	18. Love, Cancer, and Betrayal

**I is listening to the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack. Yes, I know that was atrocious grammar.**

**Chapter 18: Love, Cancer, and Betrayal (Such a Soap Opera) (Brittany's Chapter)**

Once the funeral ended, Brittany, along with Ben and Juliet searched for Tamara. Ben was quite angry that she had just magically disappeared. "How could she have escaped like that! There were people everywhere," he muttered under his breath.

Jack had already been taken back to his room, but not before he had wished her a good night. "Tamara has skills…sometimes," Brittany added.

Ben quirked an eyebrow. "How do you think she escaped?"

Brittany frowned and tapped her chin in thought. "Hmm, well, she couldn't have escaped through the jungle. Someone would have seen her. Which leaves the ocean. But she would have had to have done it when no one was watching, so that must have been when everyone was pushing Colleen into the water. Which meant that she would have pulled a Jack Sparrow and hitched a ride with Colleen's dead body."

Ben stared at her blankly. "And that's how you think she escaped?"

"Yup, I'm pretty sure that's how she escaped," Brittany nodded.

"Clever," he sighed quietly. "Then it's no use looking for her. She's bound to be on the other island by now."

Juliet had left them then and it was getting close to midnight.

"So, James's con still on for tomorrow?" Brittany asked.

Ben nodded. "Yes. I'll come for you when we're ready. I suggest wearing shoes you're comfortable in."

"I always do. Anyway, where are we going?"

Ben smirked. "A special place. It should be very beautiful by the time we arrive."

"I don't like the way you said that," Brittany winced.

He smiled. "I think you'd better go straight to sleep."

Brittany shrugged. "Alright. Whatever you say, Benryjamin."

He rolled his eyes. "Good night." She laughed, patting his shoulders.

"Sweet dreams," he replied quietly, looking at her hand.

She left him on the beach and walked back to her house/shack. It was all the more depressing now that she was alone. Tamara was a strange one. That was for sure. Sighing, she changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed. After a few minutes, she fell asleep.

"Psst. Psssst," someone whispered.

"No, I don't want goose," Brittany whined, burying her face in the pillow.

"Brittany," the voice said louder, shaking her a bit.

She opened her eyes and found Ben's face inches from her own. "Bonkers!" she gasped, rolling away from him. Unfortunately for her, the cot was very thin and she rolled right off it. "Ow! Ben!" she growled.

She got to her feet and saw him laughing quietly at her. "Good morning," he grinned.

"What time is it?" she yawned.

"It's three in the morning," he replied casually.

Her eyes bulged. "What?! Are you insane?"

"Some seem to think that," he said coldly.

"I was not aware that I would be waking up before the crack of dawn," Brittany snapped.

"Do you want to come or not?" Ben asked patiently.

"I might as well. There's no point in my waking up early for nothing," Brittany sighed. "Just give me a moment to dress."

"We'll be outside." They walked out.

She quickly changed and grabbed some food to eat on the way. When she opened the door, she found Ben, Sawyer, and a group of random people she never met before waiting for her.

"Ah, looks like Sweetcheeks's friend is here. Have they shown you the bunny trick as well?" he asked darkly.

"Bunny trick?" Brittany repeated, giving Ben a confused look.

"James witnessed what happened to a creature with a pace-maker. It seems he learned from his lesson," Ben smirked.

Sawyer glared at Ben and squeezed his hands into fists.

Brittany looked at them and cleared her throat awkwardly. "Alright. Time to get a move on. Right?"

Ben swept a calculating gaze over Sawyer before nodding. He turned and led them further into the jungle. Brittany walked side-by-side with Sawyer. "So, what were you supposed to learn at your lesson?" she asked him.

Sawyer continued to glare at the back of Ben's head. "They put a pace-maker in my heart. That way I won't run away."

"Oh." Brittany blinked in shock.

She quickened her pace so that she walked next to Ben. "Hello."

"Hello," he smiled.

"So, Sawyer tells me you put a pace-maker in him?"

Ben smirked. "That's what we told him."

Brittany's eyes widened. "Oh. So _that's _the con."

"Exactly."

They were hiking up a very steep hill now. Brittany, who was usually quite fit, found herself breathing heavily as they climbed up. Ben, on the other hand, looked as calm and unweary as when they had started. Sawyer was feeling the strain, too.

"Just a little farther, James," Ben said encouragingly as he continued their trek.

"So, that's the plan. You're trying to blow up my damn heart," Sawyer panted, looking very winded.

Ben turned slowly to face him, a knowing smile on his face. "Your heart's not going to explode, James; that bunny you saw was sedated." He opened his man-purse and pulled out a bunny like a magician.

"Whoa! You were carrying a bunny with you the entire time?" Brittany exclaimed.

"Yes. He's an old friend of mine." Ben stroked the bunny affectionately.

"How do I know you didn't just paint a number eight on a different bunny?" Sawyer snapped.

Ben handed the bunny to Brittany, who was eagerly holding her hands out for it. "You don't," he shrugged.

"Awe, he's so warm," Brittany cooed. She nearly dropped him when Sawyer shot his fist out and punched Ben square in the mouth and nose. The force of the hit made Ben's head snap to the side.

Brittany seethed with anger. She threw the bunny at Sawyer. "Attack, Ben Jr.!" she cried.

Sawyer yelped as Ben Jr. bit him then started trying to trample him with his foot. The others grabbed Sawyer and held him back. Ben scooped up Ben Jr. and placed him back in his man-purse. Brittany touched his shoulder gingerly. "Are you alright?"

He shrugged her off. "I'm fine. I'm getting used to being a punching bad." Brittany could see traces of blood on his hands and his nose was steadily dripping. "There's something I want to show you," he said to Sawyer.

Brittany made sure to walk between Ben and Sawyer. Before long, they reached the top of the hill. It was breath-taking. Ben had timed it just so that the sun was setting. Brittany now realized that they had spent the entire day hiking. The time had seriously flown. "Oh, wow," she breathed, taking in the scene. The vast ocean spread out before them. Facing opposite of them was an island in rich green colors.

Needing to snuggle with something, she took the bunny out of Ben's man-purse and held it close to her. Ben acknowledged her and turned to Sawyer. They began to talk about islands, famous literary works, and conning. The latter subject Brittany found to be quite funny.

"You're a good con artist, James. But we're better," Ben stated nonchalantly.

Brittany laughed and joined them on the precipice. She whistled as she looked down. "Nobody fall. Unless you want to attempt suicide, of course," she added, looking at the sharp rocks below.

The wind blew her hair back and gave her shivers. "Can I go back to my cage now?" Sawyer asked, glaring once more.

"Awe, do we have to? I like it up here," Brittany sighed.

Ben looked down in thought. "Matthew."

One of the random guards hurried over. "Yeah, Ben?" he asked with slight fear.

"Take James back to his cage. I'll join you later on. Make sure he doesn't escape," he said in a low, dangerous voice.

"Sure, Ben. Come on you." Matthew grabbed Sawyer and hauled him off. The others filed in behind him.

Ben turned to Brittany. "Care to sit down?" he asked, gesturing to the ground.

She smiled and positioned herself so her legs were dangling over the cliff. Ben Jr. burrowed himself in her arms. Ben sat next to her, following her example. He looked out at the ocean and gave a soft sigh.

"Are you alright?" Brittany asked softly.

Ben looked at her and paused. "I'm not one who usually talks about himself."

"I've noticed. You can tell me, though, Ben. You can trust me with anything. You're my buddy," she laughed, poking his nose.

He gave a small smile. "I don't see why. Other than our adventure in the hatch, we haven't really ever done anything together."

"Psh, not my fault. You're the one with all the secrets. I wish you would just have faith in me, Ben."

"…I want to. I've had too many experiences in my life when my expectations were never met. Too many times when I've been hurt."

Brittany shifted closer to him. He was really starting to open up now. "Ben, I won't hurt you."

"That's what everyone always says. But they always do."

"Can you at least give me a chance?" Brittany wasn't sure what sort of chance she was asking for, but she knew that her life depended on his answer.

He frowned and looked her straight in the eyes. Brittany became transfixed with his blue eyes that seemed to bore into her very soul. "Do you believe in second chances?" he asked in a distant voice.

"It depends on the offense," she replied.

"For lying to those who look up to you for answers. For taking people from their homes and loved ones. For killing your kin and innocents." He looked at her desperately.

"Only if the one at fault is truly sorry for their actions and desire to redeem themselves," she answered.

"But what if they're not sorry?! What if it was all for the greater good?"

"Ben, I can't judge you. If you have guilt on your conscious, that's something you have to take care of by yourself." Brittany gently took his hand in hers.

She knew that he was talking about himself. That he was talking about a time when he had killed a member of his own family and others. She knew Ben wasn't the purest individual when it came to violence and lies. But as she looked deep into his eyes, his ever-guarded eyes, she saw that he was sorry for everything he had ever done.

"Brittany, I want to give you that chance. However, I want to prove myself also. Circumstances are going to make my redemption difficult. I have duties that must be taken care of before my journey begins. I don't know why, but I sense a very dangerous storm coming. Jack and his people have brought danger to this island."

"You mean that island," Brittany gestured to the island opposed of them.

Ben shrugged. "Whatever."

The sky darkened, a few stars appeared on the sky. "We'd better head back. Jack's waiting for my X-rays." Ben pulled her up alongside him.

"You know you're a great man, Ben, right?" Brittany smiled.

"I haven't heard that in a long while," he said softly.

They walked back down the hill hand-in-hand. Brittany was still carrying Ben Jr. in the crook of her arm. "So, Ben Jr.," Ben prompted, looking at the bunny.

Brittany shrugged. "Well, I'd like to name my son that someday." Ben nearly tripped over a root at that comment and looked at her with wide eyes. She laughed at his expression.

It was dark by the time they got back. Ben let go of her hand instantly when they walked into the shack's sight. "Weakness," he whispered to her questioning look.

Brittany frowned but didn't say anything. It would take her awhile to get used to his strange ways. "When are you going to see Jack?" she asked.

"Why?" he replied with a suspicious look.

"I just wanted to be there for moral support."

"I'll wake you before I go," he said finally.

"Good. Wait! It's not going to be at three in the morning is it?" Brittany groaned.

Ben chuckled. "No. I could do with a good night's sleep."

She sighed in relief. "That's good."

They reached her shack and she looked up awkwardly at it. "Well, thanks for the hike. It was very beautiful," she smiled. "Good night." She took a step toward the shack.

Ben whipped his head around to see if anyone was watching; no one was outside. Satisfied, he took her hand and kissed the top of it like a gentleman would to a lady. "Sweet dreams," he smiled, letting go of her hand.

"O-oh," she blushed. Thankfully, it was dark, so she wasn't too worried about his seeing her tomato red face, but by the satisfied look on his face, she suspected that he knew. Smiling cheesily and stuttering over her farewell, she all but ran into her shack. After she had closed the door behind her, she swore she could hear him chuckling.

The next morning, she woke before Ben entered her shack/house. Brittany was able to have an actual breakfast; something that she was very grateful for. He arrived, unannounced as before, shortly after she had finished showering and putting on new clothes. "Good morning," he smiled, sitting on her cot/bed.

She finished tying her shoelaces and skipped over to him. "Morning," she chirped. "Nervous?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Not really," he shrugged.

"Ben," Brittany warned.

He crumpled a bit. "Maybe a little," he admitted quietly. "I mean, today is the day when I hear if there's hope for my existence or not."

"It'll be fine," Brittany whispered comfortingly, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

"An empty promise. But appreciated nonetheless," Ben smirked, standing up.

"Come on, Jack's waiting for you," Brittany smiled, pulling him along.

They walked outside and were shortly joined by Juliet. She held a packet of folders in her hand; Brittany suspected it held Ben's x-rays inside. A few minutes later found them inside of Jack's room.

"Hey, Jack," Brittany grinned as they entered.

"Hey, Brittany," he returned the smile.

Ben gave a loud cough and took the folders from Juliet. He handed them to Jack wordlessly and watched him anxiously.

Jack held the x-rays up to the light and looked them over. "How old are these x-rays?" Jack asked.

"Week," Juliet said indifferently.

Jack sighed and put the x-rays on the table. "The tumor on your spine is inoperable after one week. When the week's over, that borderline disappears."

Ben shifted. "Oh." His voice held the tone of one who was defeated. "Well, then, we'd better get started. I'm ready."

Jack gave a dry laugh. "What makes you think I'm going to do it?"

Ben paused, looking at him in confusion. "How can I trust you to keep your word? You think that I'm just going to do the surgery and hope that you keep your word!" He was starting to get angry.

"I'm very disappointed in your decision, Jack," Ben said in a small voice.

Jack smirked and approached the glass. "Well, Ben. Soon you won't have to be." Brittany gave mental kudos to Jack for that one. Her heart leapt out to Ben though. A look of hopelessness and despair streaked his face and he left the room without a word. As he walked he seemed to be much older than he was; all of his years and experiences seemed to be weighing down on him.

Juliet followed behind him. Brittany turned to look at Jack, who was looking at the x-rays on the floor. "Jack," she began.

"Don't," he interrupted.

"Why won't you help him? If it's a matter of trust, then put your faith in me, not him," Brittany said, approaching the glass.

"I should just let him die. All of my troubles would disappear." He shook his head. Brittany glanced up at the security camera. With a shrug of her shoulders, she opened the door to his glass room and walked in.

"He can help get you off the island, though. Don't you want to go home? You don't belong here, Jack. I'll bet you can't wait to go home and get back to a normal life. Ben can give you that," she told him softly.

"What about you? Will you come with me?" Jack asked, moving closer to her.

"I can't, Jack. This is where I want to be. I love it here."

"How can you say that? These people are monsters, Brittany. They murder someone without thinking twice!" Jack exclaimed.

"They're good people who have been through rough times. I'm sure you can relate," she said coldly.

He hesitated. "Brittany, I really want you to come with me."

She gave a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Jack. This is my home now."

He nodded slowly and turned away. Brittany didn't think she'd be able to get anything more out of him, so she turned to leave. Suddenly, she found herself slammed against the glass wall.

Jack was pinning her against the wall, his eyes wild, and he was breathing heavily. "What the he-!" she was cut off when Jack crashed his lips against hers.

She was so surprised that her mind when completely blank and she stood there frozen while Jack kissed her passionately. He pulled away, ashamed. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have," he began to ramble.

Brittany stared at him wide-eyed. Silently, she walked out of the room and closed the door and locked it. Shell-shocked, she stumbled out of the Hydra and back to her shack/house. There she sat on her cot and went over in her mind what had just occurred.

She woke to the smell of tea. She didn't remember falling asleep, but then again, who does? Ben was sitting across from her, holding a steaming mug of tea. "Good evening," he smiled, handing the mug to her.

"Hey, Ben." She took a sip of the tea. "How you doing?"

"Great. Jack decided to do the surgery after all," he smiled.

"That's wonderful!" she cried, throwing her arms around him. "How did you convince him?"

"It wasn't me. Well, not directly anyway. He caught Kate and James having sex on tape."

"Really?" Brittany quirked an eyebrow. She pulled back and sat on her cot. "You weren't watching too, were you?"

Ben glared. "As much as your friend expressed the opposite, I am not a pervert."

Brittany laughed. "That's good to hear. When's the operation?"

"First thing in the morning," Ben told her.

"Don't worry, Ben," she took his hand in hers. "I'll make sure everything runs smoothly."

"Please do. I'd rather live," he smirked. Silence followed then, but a comfortable one. They had nothing else to say, so why say pointless words? Brittany finished her tea and placed it in the sink.

"I have to go. Tom's in charge of gathering all the needed supplies and I would feel more comfortable if I double-checked everything," Ben said, moving to the door.

"Alright. See you later," Brittany called.

He nodded his farewell and left. She sighed and collapsed on the chair he had vacated. Boredom slowly crept upon her. "I wish Tamara was here," she muttered, throwing her shoe around for entertainment.

She thought of Jack and how he had kissed her. She liked Jack, sort of, just not in that way. Besides, she believed his heart truly belonged to Kate. Or Juliet. Or both. The man whore.

As the sky darkened, Brittany cooked herself dinner and went to sleep.

The next morning, she woke with a nervous stomach. If Ben wasn't nervous, she was nervous for him; ten-fold. Not feeling she had the stomach for breakfast, Brittany dressed and left for the Hydra.

When she arrived, it was chaotic inside. Everyone was running back and forth. Ben was lying on a metal table, watching the goings on. Naked. Brittany blushed darkly when she saw him. He caught her eye and smiled.

"I'll admit I'm feeling quite vulnerable at the moment," he grinned, looking at himself.

"I'll bet," Brittany blurted, wringing her hands together.

"I had my last breakfast a little while ago. Burnt toast and cold eggs." He gave a little smile.

Brittany sat on the stool next to his head and waved her finger in disappointment. "Now, now, you'll be better soon. And when you are, I'll make you a better breakfast."

"Pancakes and coffee?" he asked hopefully.

She laughed. "Sounds great."

Jack walked in and glanced at Brittany before quickly dropping his eyes. She frowned when she saw him, the memory of their last occurrence flashing in her mind. "Hello, Jack," Ben nodded.

"Ben. Brittany." He looked at his gloved hand.

Ben turned to Juliet, who was looking at Brittany suspiciously. "Juliet?" he asked.

"Yes, Ben?" She looked at him curiously.

"Did Alex say she was coming?"

Juliet blinked. "No. I haven't seen her all day."

Ben looked down in disappointment. He sighed and rested his head on the platform thingy. "I'm ready," he whispered. Brittany looked down at his reflection and gave him a thumbs up. He smiled and relaxed.

Brittany was forced to leave as Jack told Ben to count back from twenty. She entered the room where she, Tamara, Ben, Tom, and Danny had watched Colleen die. She hoped there wouldn't be a repeat performance. Brittany spotted Danny leaving the room, a look of determination on hi s face. She felt that she should follow him, but her duty was to stay with Ben and make sure the surgery went smoothly.

She sat on a stool and waited. As the surgery went on without incident, she found herself becoming increasingly bored. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Jack punched the black doctor Brittany had decided was Foreman. Besides the fact that Jack had just declared himself as racist, Ben's life was now in danger. "Oi!" she hit the glass. "This is not how it happens on _House! _Well, actually, it does, but that's not the point!" she yelled.

"Bring a walkie-talkie!" Jack shouted.

"…fine," she said angrily. She grabbed Tom's walkie from his hand and stomped into the room. "What did you do to Ben?" she spat.

His heart monitor was beeping crazily. "I cut into his kidney. He'll die in an hour If my demands aren't met," he said in a crazy, whispery voice.

"And what are your demands?" she glared.

"I want Kate and Sawyer to be released," he told her. "Give me the walkie."

Brittany couldn't think of any other way to pacify him, so she handed over the walkie. "Danny?" Jack said into the walkie.

Brittany gave him another glare and sat by Ben's head once more. She looked down at his reflection and saw that he was still sleeping. Poor, oblivious Ben. She slowly took his hand in hers and held onto it tightly.

"Are you going to save him?" she asked quietly.

Jack was too busy yelling at Kate to hear her. "Why don't you stop the bleeding before he bleeds to death?" she shouted.

He jumped and set the walkie down. "I'll work on him while I wait. But if anything happens to Kate, I'll kill him." He handed her what looked like tongs. "You can help."

"I will," she declared fiercely, seizing the tongs in her hand.

"Do exactly as I say," Jack instructed.

"Alright." Brittany changed into the anti-germ clothing and joined him.

"Why do you care so much if he lives or dies?" Jack asked.

Brittany looked up at him. "Because I love him."

Jack blinked at her, astounded. "Oh," he said.

"Look, Jack. I know that since you kissed me, you've been under the impression that we've been…together. But we haven't. You seem like a great guy, Jack, but I can only see you as a friend. I hope you can understand that," she said quietly.

"I do," he said after a long silence. "Besides, it was almost too good to be true."

"I thought you loved Kate," she pointed out.

"Kate slept with Sawyer," he replied nonchalantly.

"Oh." She glanced at Juliet. "I always thought you were meant to be with a blonde anyway."

Jack glanced up at Juliet as well and smiled. "She told me to kill him."

"Who kill who?" Brittany asked.

"Juliet wanted me to kill Ben. She said that he was a liar and dangerous. She wants me to kill him during the surgery."

Brittany felt her fury rise up once more. She left Jack's side and stomped over to Juliet. "Bitch!" She punched her in the face.

Juliet took a step back from the force and looked at Brittany, wide-eyed. Tom ran up and restrained Brittany. "You tried to kill him! How could you?!"

Juliet, whose nose was beginning to bleed, shook her head. "It wasn't me. I didn't do anything."

"Jack said you did," Brittany told her.

"Hey," a weak, hoarse voice called out. Everyone stilled, hardly breathing. Tom released Brittany and they, along with Jack, moved to where Ben's face was clearly awake on the mirror. "That's not helping anything," he scolded lightly.

Brittany crouched down under the table and looked up at him. "You're supposed to be sleeping."

"I'm not a very good anesthesiologist," Jack admitted.

"I noticed," Ben grunted. Brittany saw that he was beginning to drool and giggled quietly. She took a napkin and wiped his mouth.

"Thank you. I don't normally enjoy drooling on people," he said slowly, lethargically.

"No problem. Here to serve."

"I need to talk to Juliet," he said a little bit louder.

Brittany frowned. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Trust me," Ben told her.

Brittany rolled her eyes, the old trust game. "Very well. Just don't be too long."

"Promise affirmed," he said quietly. Brittany stood up.

"He wants to talk to you. Alone," she said icily to Juliet.

Jack hesitated but left with Tom following close behind. Brittany paused on her way out but left as well. They watched from above. All eyes intently watching Ben's lips and Juliet's reactions.

"I wish I knew how to read lips," Brittany said mournfully.

"Don't we all?" Jack smiled.

They all stood up once Juliet did and met her in the hallway as she exited. "I'm going after them," she said bluntly.

"If you hurt them," Jack warned.

"I'm going to help them escape. Ben kindly asks you to return to performing the surgery." And with that, Juliet walked off.

"Should I trust her?" Jack asked Brittany.

"She seems determined to help. But I really don't think you should be asking me my opinion of her right now," Brittany added.

"I suppose I should be getting back to surgery then," Jack sighed.

Brittany gave him a warm smile. "Thanks, Jack." He nodded and walked back into the surgery room. Brittany followed him shortly, sending Ben a huge smile.

"Are you in any pain?" Jack asked after a few moments of awkward silence.

"No, I'm fine," Ben said in his dazed, distant voice. "I've been able to hear you for quite some time."

Brittany tensed at his words. "Oh. How much did you hear?"

"Enough," he gave her a pointed look.

"Great," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"I hope you're not ashamed of the way you feel for me," Ben looked at her curiously, trying to read her face.

"No," she replied quickly. "No, I'm not ashamed."

"Good," he whispered inaudibly.

"I need to reapply the anesthesia," Jack cut in.

"Very well," Ben told him. Brittany took his hand and crouched below the table once more. "I wonder if I'll wake up again," he wondered vaguely.

She squeezed his hand encouragingly. "I'll make sure you do. If Jack decides to stop the surgery again, I'll finish it myself. I've had my fair share of playing Operation. Nothing to it," she grinned.

"Of course. See you on the other side," he smirked. Brittany watched him until he fell asleep once again. She resurfaced and watched Jack carefully.

"I'm not going to cut his other kidney," he remarked without looking up.

"Just being careful!" she shrugged.

Just then, the walkie talkie emitted a loud static burst. Jack jumped over to it and listened. "Jack?" came a female voice.

"Are you safe?" he asked.

"Yes," came the hesitant voice.

"Tell me," Jack ordered.

The voice, Kate, then told him a story that Brittany didn't really give a crap about. "Satisfied?" she asked Jack once he hung up.

"No," he replied simply. "But it will have to do."

He went back to working and Brittany continued watching. "There. Finished," Jack said quietly, stitching up the last string.

"Seriously?! He's all better?! He's not going to die?!" Brittany beamed.

"As long as he doesn't get an infection," Jack said in a disappointed voice.

"Don't sound so hopeful," Brittany smirked. "When can he leave?"

"He shouldn't for at least a day or two. Those stitches need time to settle in. Besides, once the painkiller wears off, he's not going to want to move very much."

"Thanks again, Jack." She patted his arm.

"Alright, Jack. I have orders to return you to your room once the surgery is over," Tom declared, stepping forward.

Jack nodded. "See you around," he told her before walking away with Tom. Brittany paced the room impatiently, waiting for Ben to wake up.

A few hours passed, and finally he stirred. She flew to his side. "Hey, sleepy head. Surgery was successful."

"Obviously," came his muffled reply.

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore and warm," he replied. "May I move to my side?"

"I'm not sure. Jack said you shouldn't move for a while, but I think it would be alright if you laid on your side."

"I might need some assistance," Ben admitted shyly.

"Sure thing." Brittany unlatched his head from the table and helped him turn on his side. "There you are. Better?"

"Much."

"Good. Now tell me what you said to Juliet," Brittany demanded.

"Straight to the point as always," Ben smiled. "I offered her a ticket off this island in exchange for her services."

"You're letting her go?" Brittany asked in shock.

"I am a man of my word. Both she and Jack will be on the next submarine home."

"The newly painted submarine," Brittany added.

"Yes," Ben recalled with a light smile.

"I think you should get some rest. I'll be here," she told him.

"I am a little tired," he agreed and settled himself comfortably. He fell asleep not long after, Brittany watching him. She studies his face and came to the sudden realization that he looked like an older Harry Potter. Grinning wickedly, she picked up an abandoned permanent marker and approached his head.

Holding back a laugh, she lightly drew on his forehead a lightning bolt. His nose twitched at the smell and he opened his eyes. She quickly threw the marker across the room and gave him an innocent smile. "What are you smiling about?" he asked suspiciously.

"No reason," she shrugged.

He winced. "My back hurts."

She frowned. "Let me take a look." She walked to the other side and saw with horror that his stitches were becoming infected. "I think I should get Jack."

"He'll be outside in the cage," Ben told her. A random black doctor walked in. Brittany recognized him as the doctor Jack punched and that she named him Foreman. "Dr. Foreman, watch him while I get Dr. House," Brittany ordered.

The man gave her a look of confusion but nodded nonetheless. She ran out of the room and outside. After becoming lost for a few minutes, she found the correct path and found the cages. Alex was talking to Jack.

"Hey!" she greeted them.

"How's my dad?" Alex asked, looking down.

"He's fine. Though he's a little sad you weren't there," Brittany scolded.

Alex remained silent. "What do you need?" Jack asked her.

"You were right. The stitches are infected," she frowned.

"And?" Jack drawled on.

"And he needs your help again," she told him.

"I'll help him on one condition," Jack held up a finger.

"Name it."

"Juliet goes free."

Brittany looked at him in confusion. Alex spoke up. "Juliet's on trial for attempting Ben's life."

"You'll have to talk that over with Ben." Brittany unlocked the door and let him out. "Follow me." She led them back to the room correctly, not getting lost once.

As they entered the room, Ben said, "The cavalry's arrived at last." Dr. Foreman was about to stick a GINORMOUS needle into Ben's back before Brittany snatched it away from him.

"I told you to watch him, not play pin the needle into Ben's back!"

Dr. Foreman looked offended and left. Jack made another deal with Ben and ran off to save Juliet's life. Alex left with him.

"She hates me," Ben said simply.

"Alex? Why?" Brittany asked.

"I locked up her boyfriend and attempted to brainwash him," he replied casually.

"Er, that wasn't such a great idea."

"I'm a little over protective if you haven't noticed," he snapped softly. "I just don't want her to get pregnant."

"Why not? I mean, sure, she's young, but eventually she'll find the man she loves and start a family. No matter how hard you try, you can't stop that."

"Women who become pregnant on this island die. We don't know why, but it happens. I can't make her understand that," he looked at her helplessly.

"Ben, it is possible to have a relationship with someone without becoming pregnant. That's what protection's for!" She grinned.

Ben grimaced. "This conversation is becoming awkward. Let's change the subject."

"Agreed. Eager to get home?" Brittany asked.

"Very. I don't like this island very much. It's not…home!" he finished.

"Will I be acquiring Juliet's house since she'll be leaving?" Brittany asked.

Ben looked at her shoes and coughed nervously. "Actually, I was hoping you'd return and live with me in my home."

"Seriously?! Awesome!" Brittany cried, doing her best to hug him while he lay sideways. It ended up being more of a snuggle of arms than anything.

"After all, I'll need someone to be my slave while I'm in a wheelchair," he smiled.

"Wheelchair? What are you talking about?" she asked, leaning back to look at him.

"Jack's just told me that it's very likely that I won't be able to walk. But I have connections. I'll walk again," Ben told her in a low determined voice.

"You can't walk? Like Polio? You can't recover from that! How are you going to be able to walk again?" Brittany cried.

"I told you. I have connections," he said simply. "I need your support, Brittany. This isn't going to be easy without you."

She sighed. "Alright. I'm here for you, Ben."

"I'm grateful for that."

A day passed and everyone was up and running, getting packed and ready to head back home. Ben was, in fact, unable to walk. Brittany's heart leapt out to him when he was first placed in the wheelchair. He looked like such a broken man. As soon as Tom walked in, he set himself in his usual calculating, cold, indifferent self. The fearless leader. They carried him down the sand and laid him on a platform.

"We're taking a boat?" Brittany looked at the vessel.

"Our submarine is currently docked at the other island," Ben said tartly. He had seen the lightning bolt marking on his forehead and was a little angry with her. Juliet and Tom had thought it was funny, but silenced when Ben gave them his trademark death glare. He had stopped talking to her completely once he found out that it was permanent marker.

"Time to go," he told Tom. They lifted him onto the boat and everyone else boarded afterward. Jack and Juliet stood at the front, both silent with unhappy looks on their faces.

The boat took off toward the island. As it reached the other dock,, Ben looked up and gave a soft smile. "Home," he whispered tenderly.

Brittany heard him and covered his hand with her own. He looked up at her. "Home," she nodded quietly.

**Seventeen pages, people. Okay, true story. Brittany and I both suck at Operation. During the hiatus between "I Do" and "Not in Portland" we tried to save Ben's life via Operation. We failed like, fifty times over. That damned wishbone. **

**Once again, no preview.**

**Next chapter: Tamara, somehow, gets mixed up in the business of the Others….again!**


	19. Phantasmagoria

**This chapter is long and fast paced due to random bouts of writer's block**

**Chapter 19: Phantasmagoria (or the chapter in which there are many **_**Doctor Who **_**references) (Tamara's chapter)**

Tamara was taking a walk through the jungle. Just her and her precious laptop. Actually, her walk had been extended. Having been used to the active lifestyle of a felon, the slow pace of the island had left her bored nearly to tears. So, she had left. As she came up a hill, she noticed three very familiar figures and one not-so-familiar figure.

Snickering to herself, she crept up behind them and exclaimed, "Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!"

Kate screamed, Sayid tackled her, the random woman pointed her gun at Tamara, and Locke just stood there making odd facial expressions.

"Dammit, Sayid. What the hell was that for?" Tamara exclaimed, sitting up.

"Tamara. What are you doing here?" Sayid asked.

"Don't kill me, and I'll tell you," Tamara said, eyeing that one lady's gun.

"It's alright, Danielle. She's one of us," Sayid said, helping Tamara to her feet.

"Heaven forbid. Are you aware that there is nothing to do on your island?" Tamara asked.

"What do you mean there's nothing to do on this island? We have backgammon!" Locke exclaimed.

"Are you kidding? I don't know how to play backgammon!" Tamara exclaimed.

"I should teach you when we return," Locke said thoughtfully.

"Where you going?" Tamara asked.

"We're going to rescue Jack, where do you think?" Kate snapped incredulously. Ever since Tamara had stolen her tent, Kate had basically hated her.

"I want to come!" Tamara exclaimed eagerly.

"I don't see why not," Locke said cheerfully.

"Yay!" Tamara cheered.

"We were stopping anyway," Sayid said. "We must eat!"

"Okay then," Tamara said slowly. She plopped down on the grass and pulled out her laptop.

"You have a laptop?!" Kate asked jealously.

"Yep." Tamara stuck her tongue out at Kate. Proceeding to ignore her travelling mates, she signed onto IOL.

Suddenly, she received a messaged. "You have been invited to chatroom (the Others' book club) by: SECRETAGENTwoMAN."

"Cool!" Tamara said, clicking on "ok."

SECRETAGENTwoMAN: TAMARA! You left!  
Lost4evr14: I know that! What's up?  
SECRETAGENTwoMAN: Ben's not talking to me, so I'm stalking him via chatroom!  
Lost4evr14: Why isn't he talking to you?  
ZepHindleIsSexxi" I forbid you to say anything more, Brittany!  
Lost4evr14: Aw, come on Benry!  
ZepHindleIsSexxi: You insulted me!  
Lost4evr14: How?  
Karlsbabigirl: you left in the middle of Colleen's funeral  
Lost4evr14: Woah. Who's this?  
ZepHindleIsSexxi: Alex! I thought I told you that you're grounded!  
Karlsbabigirl: whatever  
Lost4evr14: What's Danny's sn? I wanna offer him my deepest condolences VIA INTERNET!!!  
SECRETAGENTwoMAN: Danny's like…dead  
Lost4evr14: Woah! Who finally caved and shot him?  
JulietB14: I did  
Lost4evr14: good job

Suddenly, Sayid said, "We have to go."

Lost4evr14: I g2g. TTYL!  
SECRETAGENTwoMAN: BYE!!!!!!

Tamara shut her laptop and packed it in her bag. "Apparently, Danny is dead."

"Yeah, Juliet killed him," Kate said, rolling her eyes just because she thought she was so cool.

"I know that," Tamara scoffed.

Without further ado, they began to trek across the (to Tamara) beautiful landscape. "Where are we going again?" she asked after a while.

"We are going to the other side of the island to rescue Jack," Sayid told her. "And no talking!"

"My, I sure am travelling with a bunch of party poopers," Tamara said to herself. "I wish Desmond was here. He's no wet blanket!"

"You can always turn back," Kate said happily.

Tamara smiled wickedly. "Oh no. No, no, no. I'm staying so that I can torment you."

"Oh, come on guys. Can't we all just get along?" Locke asked with a big smile.

"Hmph," Kate pouted.

Tamara soon found herself walking beside Danielle. Danielle stared at her. "So, how did you come to be on this island?"

"I was on a science expedition and we shipwrecked. After I killed my team, I left an SOS message in French. Nobody came to find us," she answered.

"Maybe it's because you were speaking _French_," Tamara stated.

"French is my native language," Danielle said, clearly offended.

"Then why don't you have a French accent?" Tamara asked.

"I refuse to discuss this any longer," Danielle said in disgust. After a while of walking, Danielle said, "You were with them, weren't you?" Tamara nodded. "Did you see my daughter, Alex?"

"Oh, she's your daughter?!" Then a disgusting thought came upon her. Danielle and Benry. _Bad _combination.

At one point, Tamara heard what seemed to be a cow bell. "What the hell?" she asked.

"Be quiet," Danielle snapped.

They peeked between the bushes and spotted a man leading a freaking _cow _into a pen.

"Hey," Tamara whispered. "That man stole Desmond's Dharma outfit!"

"Shut _up_!" Kate snapped, flipping her hair. Tamara stuck her tongue out at Kate. The random man went into his random shack.

"Stay here," Sayid instructed, handing Kate his rifle. "If I'm unarmed, he knows I'm no threat."

Suddenly, Danielle decided she wanted to leave. "Where are you going?" Tamara asked.

"I have no interest in that man," Danielle stated. "I will wait for you by the stream, for those of you that survive."

"Charming woman," Tamara muttered.

Sayid made his way out slowly, hands raised. He was very close to the house when the random man shot him in the arm.

Kate made a move to dash to Sayid's aid, but Locke held her back.

"He's been hit!" Kate exclaimed.

"I can see that, but do you want to be next?" Locke whispered.

"Yeah, Kate. Why don't you go out there?" Tamara asked. Kate scowled. Tamara smirked and turned back to watching Captain Hook yelling at Sayid and Sayid pleading his innocence.

Kate and Locke ran out to defend Sayid. Tamara stayed where she was because she wasn't armed. Kate and Locke shot at Captain Hook and he surrendered.

"Who are you?" Tamara asked, approaching slowly.

"My name is Mikhail Bakunin, and I am the last surviving member of the Dharma Initiative."

They were in Mikhail's home now. As he stitched up Sayid's bullet wound, Tamara and Locke began to take a look around. They entered a super-secret room and a creepy computer voice said, "Ready to play?" Locke typed "yes" and he commenced playing a chess game while Tamara looked on.

John lost. "Don't bother," Mikhail said from the doorway. "I've been trying to beat that game for ten years. It cheats."

"I've played all sorts of computer games, and I'm pretty sure they don't cheat," Locke said.

"Have you ever played Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix?" Tamara asked after Mikhail left.

"No, I don't believe I have," Locke said, using his suspicious smile that was really beginning to get on Tamara's nerves.

"Well, the chess players cheat; especially the Ravenclaw girl," Tamara said. "I'll look up cheat codes; then you can have a competition over who's the better cheater."

Tamara opened her laptop and typed in to the search engine, "Cheat codes chess game Dharma." Instantly, she was hit with many search results. The top one said, "Hanso Mind Games – Free Strategy Guide."

"How does your laptop work here?" Locke asked curiously. "Cell phones don't work."

"I tried mine a couple of days ago; it worked; it's a superphone" Tamara shrugged.

"Oooh kay," Locke said.

Suddenly, there was a noise from the adjoining room.

"What the hell?" Tamara demanded. Locke drew his gun and led the way out of the super-secret room.

"What happened?" he asked.

Tamara noticed that Mikhail was knocked out on the floor. "I think we're a little late," she said.

"There is another other here," Sayid said quietly to Tamara some time later as they knelt by Mikhail's still form.

"_Another _other?" Tamara breathed quietly. "How can you be sure that _this _other is hiding _another _other?"

"The horse outside; the stirrups are too short for this other; they belong to _another_, shorter other," Sayid explained.

"John's checking every nook and cranny right now; perhaps he'll find the other other," Tamara whispered.

"I doubt he'll bother to check closely enough' he'll never find the other other," Sayid said. He lifted the rug and displayed a trap door in the floor.

Tamara gasped. "Another hatch to hide the another other other?"

"What are you whispering about?" Kate asked from behind Sayid. He quickly covered the trap door again.

"Don't bother asking; you'll just get as confused as I am; you'll be Kate: the other confused castaway," Tamara sighed.

"I can see no sign of the other other," Locke said as he approached. "I've checked every nook and cranny."

Tamara dramatically threw back the rug and blared, "NOT _EVERY _NOOK AND CRANNY, JOHN!"

Everyone stared at her. "Good God, Holmes!" John exclaimed.

After a few minutes of silence, Kate and Sayid disappeared down the trap door, and Locke returned to his chess game, Tamara at his side with the cheat codes.

Locke cheated his way to victory, and, as he was about to follow some possibly destructive instructions, Mikhail decided to pull some ninja tricks and hold Locke and Tamara at gunpoint.

Soon, Kate and Sayid arrived, holding the other other hostage.

"Oh my god! Her name is Ms Klugh!" Tamara exclaimed. She darted away from Mikhail and hid behind him. Bea and Mikhail began to have a heated argument in Russian.

"Does anybody speak Russian?" Tamara asked.

"No, I speak Iraqi," Sayid answered.

"I only speak English," Kate said.

"How dull," Tamara muttered.

"I speak Greek," Locke said cheerfully.

"I only speak Latin," Tamara said.

"Do it Mikhail!" Bea screamed.

"Hey, I know what that means!" Tamara exclaimed. Mikhail pointed his gun at Bea and shot her. Boom, dead. Tamara opened and closed her mouth a few times before uttering one syllable. "Ah."

Tamara and Locke had returned to scavenge what they could from Mikhail's house. Locke was playing chess…again, and Tamara was browsing through Mikhail's book collection. Tossing aside _Great Expectations, _Tamara discovered a magical DVD collection. "Cool!" she exclaimed. She began to browse through the collection with gusto. "_Gone With the Wind," _she muttered. "_Star Trek, 24, Monk, Lost. _Oh, ew. I hate that show. How can he have _Monk _and not have _The Lord of the Rings? _Oh, cool. _Doctor Who, _series one and two. No series three. That's okay. I didn't really like Martha."

Tamara took the DVDs and went to find Locke. He was just leaving and Tamara stared at the computer. She heard a man on the computer say the numbers seven seven. Eagerly, she pushed seven seven and followed Locke outside to the treeline.

Danielle was there. "Woah. I thought you were going to wait by the stream," Tamara pointed out.

Suddenly, the house blew up. KA-BOOM! Tamara gaped. "Um, oops," she said.

"What did you do that for?" Kate demanded.

"Why did you blow up an important Dharma station?" Locke asked.

"Because they're just so funny, sir?" Tamara asked nervously.

"What?" Mikhail said.

"She's insane," Kate moaned.

"And I _love _it!" Tamara cackled.

They began to make their way across the island…again. Mikhail was being led slightly in front of Tamara. "So, you like _Star Trek_?" she asked.

"It has its moments," Mikhail shrugged. Sayid turned to Tamara.

"Do not talk to him," he said quickly.

"What are you gonna do, sue me?" Tamara sneered. She turned her attention back to Mikhail. "Who's your favorite character?"

"Chekov," Mikhail answered.

"I like Spock and Sulu," Tamara answered. "Remember the episode where Sulu spun around in his chair because he was injected with happiness?"

"Yes. One of my personal favorites," Mikhail said.

"I also liked the episode where Chekov got turned into a rock/pokemon ball."

"Boone talked about _Star Trek _once," Locke mused. "He said the redshirts always got killed."

"Scotty was a redshirt. He didn't die," Tamara answered. "Neither did Uhura. However, she changed outfits a lot."

As they were talking, they came upon the row of the weird black pillars. "I've seen these before," Tamara said. "I had to go through them in order the reach the other side of the island."

"Perhaps we could test it with this horse," Danielle said, pointing out Bea's old horse which was lurking behind the trees.

"No," Tamara snapped.

"This cat?" she asked.

"No," Tamara sighed.

"Let's just think it over," Sayid said. "I'm sure we could go around it."

"Yeah, maybe once we had followed it to a beach," Kate grumbled.

Tamara was busy doing eenie-meenie-miney-moe. "Mikhail!" she said cheerfully.

"Yes?" Mikhail queried.

"You are the Weakest Link. Good bye!" With that, Tamara shoved him through the pylons.

There was an ominous buzzing noise and Mikhail only uttered one phrase. "Thank you." He convulsed and bled from the ears while the others (not _those _others mind you; just the other people) looked on, completely horrified. Mikhail foamed from the mouth and then fell over. He was dead.

"Oh my God. I killed him," Tamara whispered, completely disgusted with herself.

"I would have expected something like this from John or Rousseau. I never would have expected it from _you_, Tamara," Sayid stated, merely because both of those words start with "s."

"I would've," Kate muttered.

"Well, we now know that we cannot go through. So, the question is, how do we get over there?" Locke asked.

"I wish we had a teleport; then we could teleport across," Tamara sighed.

"Okay, you know what?" Kate snapped. "I am _sick _and _tired _of your _stupid _pop culture references. You're worse than Sawyer!"

"What? It's only _Doctor Who! _And _Star Trek!_" Tamara replied, feeling offended. "Mind you, did you know that Henry Ian Cusick was in two, not one, but _two _episodes of _24_?"

"No, and I don't really give a damn," Kate replied.

"Henry Ian Cusick is hot! Actually," Tamara mused, "he kind of looks like Desmond."

"Ridiculous," Kate scoffed.

"Well, the only solution is to go over these pylons," Sayid said, once again, because both of those words start with "s."

"I nominate Tamara to be the first one over," Kate said.

"Well," Tamara huffed. While everyone built a wooden ladder-type thing, Tamara sat cross-legged on the grass.

"Well, up you go," Kate demanded.

Tamara sighed laboriously and heaved herself up to the tree. She began to scoot upwards. Up and over the pylons she went. Finally, everyone had made it over (with the exception of Bea's horse, whom Tamara had christened Arthur).

They began to trek across the island…AGAIN! They reached an area which was sheltered by bushes. There, they caught their first glimpse of Otherville. Jack and Tom were playing football, and they were joined by Juliet. Jack made his way to Benry, who was in a wheelchair being pushed by Brittany.

"What the hell?" Kate asked quietly.

Danielle disappeared again. "We shall wait until night, and then we shall save Jack," Sayid whispered.

"Anyone got a deck of cards?" Tamara sighed.

They were paired off: Kate was with Sayid, and Tamara was with Locke.

"We're not looking for Jack, are we?" Tamara whispered as they very quietly crept through Ben's front door.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Locke said quietly.

"Well, this is Benry's home," Tamara shrugged. As they entered a darkened room, Tamara continued, "This is Benry's _bedroom_!"

Locke motioned for Tamara to hide out in the closet while he stood quietly in the corner. Tamara barely managed to avoid stepping on Brittany, who was sleeping on the floor.

Ben woke up and turned on the light.

"Whatsamatter, Ben?" Brittany grumbled, raising herself up on her elbows.

"Shut up, Brittany," Benry scowled. Obviously, he was still angry.

"John?" Benry said as John made his way over to the bed.

"Hey, don't point the gun at Ben!" Brittany exclaimed.

"I can tell you where Jack is," Ben said, not really sounding scared.

"I'm not looking for Jack; I'm looking for the submarine," Locke stated dramatically.

Ben barely had time to look astonished before Alex's voice rang out. "Dad, is everything alright?"

"Alex, don't come in here!" Ben exclaimed.

"Why? What are you and Brittany doing in there?" Alex asked, opening the door. Tamara had to stuff her fist in her mouth to muffle her laughter.

Locke grabbed Alex and covered her mouth. Tom's voice rang out. "Ben, are you awake.

"Doesn't anybody in this village _knock?_" Brittany demanded.

Locke dragged Alex into the closet and hid. "Okay," Tamara whispered, "this closet is getting cramped."

All Tamara gained from the conversation between Tom and Ben was that Sayid and Kate had been caught. Losers.

Some guy named Richard entered and Ben told him to fetch "the man from Tallahassee."

When Richard had left, the entourage in the closet tumbled out.

"Tamara!" Brittany exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey," Tamara said, straightening up. "Why are you sleeping on the floor of Benry's room?"

"Well, he's mad and me and won't let me sleep with him in his room, so I come in here every night to make sure he doesn't die or something like that," Brittany explained.

"Why's he mad at you?" Tamara asked.

"Look at his face." Tamara did so and she saw that someone (and she had a very shrewd idea who) had drawn a lightning bolt on Benryjamin's forehead.

"Oh my god! It's Harry Potter!" she yelped cheerfully.

"I do _not _look like Harry Potter!" Benry snapped.

"Maybe you should've thought of that when you went glasses shopping," Tamara shrugged.

"So, Tamara, what brings you here?" Brittany asked as John and Ben began to talk about things that nobody cared about.

"I was bored," Tamara said.

"You live on the beach with the plane crash survivors, right?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah," Tamara confirmed. "Speaking of which, can I use the shower?"

Later, Tamara was feeling refreshed and she entered the kitchen and raided Benry's fridge. Locke wasn't there. Neither was Ben. Brittany was, though.

"Tell me, Brittany, do you ever miss home?" Tamara asked.

Brittany thought about her answer for a little while. "Not really. I sort of forgot about it. This place feels like home now."

Tamara chewed her banana slowly. "Same here."

"Bananas are a good source of potassium," Brittany mused as she watched Tamara eat.

They days passed by quickly. For some odd reason, the others had decided to go on an extended camping trip. Locke was with them. Then he was kicked out. Then he came back. Ben agreed to take Locke to see "Jacob," despite Mikhail's reluctance. Mikhail had _not _been pleased to see Tamara, but Locke beat him silly for her, much to her disgust, mixed signals and all that. Tamara and Brittany decided to tag along to meet "Jacob." After all, neither of them knew anybody named Jacob, sadly.

"Jacob" lived in a shack that had a fence of some grey powder. It was empty.

"Can't you see him?" Ben asked them.

"Brittany," Tamara muttered, "your boyfriend has an imaginary friend."

As they turned to leave, all three of them heard a deep voice utter two syllables. "Help me."

Locke, being the imbecile that he is, shined his flashlight on the not-so-empty rocking chair. Ben went flying across the room.

"What phantasmagoria is this?" Tamara demanded. As they ran outside, Tamara said, "Phantasmagoria. I should use that word more often."

Ben had sent Brittany back to camp. He wanted to show Locke and Tamara something. He led the two of them to a pit full of rotting corpses. "No so long ago, I made a decision that took the lives of over forty people. I brought you here, John Locke, because this place will soon become your home."

With that pronouncement, he shot Locke into the pit. Tamara gaped. Ben turned coldly towards her. "Now for you. You are a friend of Brittany's, so I cannot kill you. She would never forgive me."

"I'm sure she would…or are you just going to kill her, too?" Tamara demanded.

"I've waited a long time to do this," Ben sighed. He aimed the gun lower and shot Tamara in the calf. She fell backwards into the pit with a cry of pain. Ben strolled away.

The thing that bothered Tamara about this whole scenario was not the fact that Locke lay beside her, bleeding to death. It was not the fact that there was now a bullet wound in her calf. It was the fact that she was lying in a pit full of rotting corpses.

"You have to get out of here," Locke whispered. "Warn the camp."

So Tamara heaved herself painfully out of the hole and set out for the beach.

**I hate the ending so much. Up until the next chapter written by me, I hate all chapters that I wrote. So, yeah, not fond. Basically, we get a recap next chapter, so you didn't miss anything great. **

**Next chapter: Brittany's first ever INSANELY LONG chapter in which Ben gets a birthday party and Tamara makes friends.**


	20. The Flashback Chapter

**Right, I have no freaking clue as to when this'll be posted, considering it's a gazillion pages long. Thanks, Brittany. Thanks. This chapter is adequately titled,**

**Chapter 20: The Flashback Chapter in Which Brittany Recounts Everything That Had Happened! (Brittany's chapter)**

_A Few Weeks Earlier_

"So, this is your house?" Brittany grinned as she rolled Ben into his home. She gasped at all the strange masks on the wall and instantly left Ben to fend for himself as she rushed to look at them.

"Since I obviously told you to come to this particular house, yes, this is my home," Ben replied curtly back.

"So, where am I sleeping?" She gave him a suggestive look.

"The couch is free," he replied, nodding to the indicated sleeping deuce behind her.

"Awe, do I have to?" she whined.

"Do I still have a mark on my head?" Ben inquired.

"…Yes," Brittany answered quietly.

"Then yes. You'll be sleeping on the couch," Ben said pleasantly.

"Psh, party pooper," she muttered.

"I'm paralyzed, Brittany. I'm not sure how much of a party it would be," Ben smirked.

"Bah! Ben!" Brittany exclaimed, plugging her ears.

He smiled slightly and rolled himself out of the living room. Brittany sat on the couch and tried out which position was best to sleep in. The door opened, and Alex entered. "Alex! I'm living with you!" she cried, sitting up.

Alex looked up and gave a small smile. She had been rather gloomy ever since Karl had left. "That's great, Brittany. Have you seen my dad?"

"Yeah, he's in his room," she replied.

"Oh." Alex frowned and promptly turned around and left.

"Okay." Brittany rose an eyebrow.

Ben rolled back in. "Did I just hear Alex?"

"Yeah, but you just missed her."

"She's avoiding me," he sighed.

"Well, you did try to brainwash her boyfriend. How did you think this was going to turn out?" Brittany gave him a skeptical look.

"I'm aware that I'm a little…overprotective," Ben snapped. "I just don't want her to get pregnant."

"I doubt she will. She's a smart girl."

"No, you don't understand. On this island, males' sperm count is five times as high as it should be. However, for some unknown reason, the pregnant mothers keep dying. I don't want her to end up like them." Ben rolled closer to the couch. "Although I may seem cold or even indifferent to my daughter, I love her more than I ever thought possible."

Brittany smiled. "Well, then, I think you'd better trust her a little bit more."

Ben looked down at the floor in thought. He was always so still when he was thinking. He snapped back into motion. "I want to take a shower. I need your help-."

"Er…" Brittany gave him an uneasy look.

"In setting up the bar with which I'll be able to help myself getting in and out of my chair." Ben smirked. "What were _you _thinking?"

Brittany looked up innocently. "Nothing." She stood from the couch and picked up the instrument which was to help Ben get in and out of the bathtub. "You know, you're asking the wrong girl to do this. I can sometimes be mechanically challenged."

"I've noticed," Ben muttered.

"What was that?" Brittany looked at him suspiciously.

"Nothing," he mocked her previous declaration of innocence.

"Alright, smarty-pants, let's get this thing hooked up," Brittany sighed and pushed him to the bathroom.

"You'll find that the hinges are already in place. I had Tom come by earlier to fix it in. All you have to do is attach it," Ben told her.

Brittany attached the bar where indicated and smiled triumphantly. "Woohoo! I can attach bars! Now to solve world hunger!"

"That's great. Now, if you'll excuse me?" Ben hinted.

"Right! Call me if you need me, Mr. Potter." She bowed on her way out, making Ben scowl.

Laughing, Brittany entered the kitchen and started rummaging around for food. "What to make for dinner," she mused aloud. She spotted Bisquick, and decided to make pancakes. It was really the only thing she could make. That and turkey sandwiches. So, whistling while she worked, Brittany made a stack of pancakes. Although, earlier, she had had a discrepancy on which sort of oil to use. Canola oil, or vegetable? She forgoed the argument and used Pam instead. Dharma Pam, that is. She also put in some creativity in her cooking and put bananas in the pancakes.

When Ben returned to the kitchen, he was surprised at what he found. "You made dinner," he observed.

"Mhm, I hope you like pancakes," Brittany chirped and set the table. "How was your bath?"

"Most enjoyable. I feel like a human again. I did stretch my stitches, though. Jack can inspect them later." Ben rolled up to the table.

Brittany served the pancakes and proceeded to drown her own in syrup. "I love pancakes," she sighed happily.

"I don't want you talking to Tamara online," Ben said abruptly.

"But _why_?!" Brittany whined.

"Because," Ben said simply.

"You can't ground me. I'm not your daughter," Brittany huffed.

"You live under my house; therefore, you will follow my rules," Ben told her sternly.

"I hate that I love you," she muttered darkly.

"And I hate that song," Ben replied happily, delving into his pancakes.

"See if I ever cook for you again," she pouted.

"I'm perfectly capable of cooking for myself," Ben replied.

"Grrr…I'm going to my room!" Brittany cried. She stood from the table, stomped over to the couch, and jumped onto it. A second later, she stood back up from the couch, stomped back over to the table, grabbed her plate, said, "Forgot my dinner," stomped back to the couch, and sat down.

Ben watched the entire scene in amusement. He took one last bite and rolled away over to her. She glared up at him. "You're in my room. Get out."

"You're a very dramatic young lady," he observed.

She grinned. "It makes life interesting." She moved over on the couch and helped him sit on it. Once he was positioned correctly, Brittany cuddled up next to him. He tensed slightly underneath her but she felt him relax after a while. "Do you feel any better?" she asked against his chest.

"I'm fine," he replied abruptly.

Brittany rolled her eyes. "You don't have to be a hero."

"Yes, I do. If I'm not, I'll lose my people's faith in me, and there will be an uprising against me. My people hate weakness, Brittany. Therefore, I must never show it," he sighed quietly.

"Well, you don't have to be strong for me," she told him. Brittany kissed him on the cheek and stood up. Just as she stood, a knock came at the door.

"Come in," Ben said.

Tom entered with Jack close behind. He nodded to Brittany in greeting. "Ah, Jack. I'm happy you came by. I'm afraid I might have stretched my stitches while climbing out of the bathtub. Could you take a look?" Ben asked with a smile.

Jack shrugged. "That's what I'm here for."

Tom spoke up. "Richard is having trouble with the submarine. It needs some repairs."

"How long?"

"A day at least," Tom replied.

Ben nodded slowly. "Then it looks like you'll be staying with us for the night, Jack."

"I already have him set up in my house," Tom said pleasantly.

"Good. Take the necessary precautions before you turn in for the night," Ben told him.

"I will. Well, I'll just leave you two to it," Tom grinned, waved to Brittany, and left the house.

Jack awkwardly approached Ben. "I can take a look at your stitches now."

Without looking at her, Ben said. "Brittany, if you would kindly excuse us."

"Fine, but this is _my _room you're in," she sighed and walked into Ben's room. "Ooh!" she cried as she looked around. His room was, predictably, clean and orderly. Books were lined nicely in their shelves. His bed was made without a lump. Pictures lined the wall. Most of them were of Alex. However, one picture caught her attention. It sat on his desk in the faraway corner. It was a picture of a man and a woman at a picnic. She didn't see Ben anywhere in it. She made a mental note to ask Ben about it later. Her attention was then drawn to the constellation chart across from his bed.

While she was examining it, Jack entered the room. "Where's Ben?" she asked.

"Putting his shirt back on," he replied.

"…I'm finding this situation most awkward," Brittany said in discomfort.

Jack nodded. "You have no idea."

"So, you're finally leaving," Brittany smiled.

He returned the smile. "Yeah. Well, we'll see."

"You don't trust Ben." It wasn't a question.

"What gave it away?" he laughed quietly.

"I think you should have a little bit more faith in him. He could have killed you right after the surgery," Brittany pointed out.

Just then, Ben rolled in. "Are you talking about me?" he asked.

"No," Jack said.

At the same time, Brittany nodded and said, "Yes!" Jack glared but remained silent.

"I see. You can leave now, Jack. Thank you for your help," Ben smiled. Jack nodded and left the house. The rest of the day was spent exploring Ben's house and pushing his buttons. When it came time to sleep, Brittany sadly left Alex's room where they were playing Go Fish and entered the living room. She brightened when she saw Ben waiting for her.

"I thought I could at least bid you goodnight," he said.

She jumped onto the couch and spread her blanket over her. "Oh?"

Ben rolled over to her and placed a kiss on her hand. "Goodnight, Brittany," he said softly.

She gave him a warm smile and ran a hand through his hair. "Goodnight, Ben." With one more look, Ben rolled away and entered his room.

Brittany laid on her back and stared at the ceiling. Hours passed and she was still unable to sleep. Noises from outside made her jump. It wasn't fear for herself, but for Ben. He was unable to protect himself now. She recalled what he had said about his people hating the weak and feared for his life. _His own people wouldn't kill him, _she argued in her mind. _What a silly thing to think, _she scolded herself. And yet, she still feared.

About half-way through the night, Brittany rolled off the couch and tip-toed to Ben's room. Her fears instantly vanished when she heard his light snoring. Memories of their time in the hatch together brought a smile to her face. She placed her blankets on the ground and laid on them. This time, she was finally able to fall asleep.

_A Few Weeks Later_

"Woohoo! Chicken for dinner!" Brittany cried with joy. Ben had taken to cooking dinners since he felt useless not being able to do anything else.

"Yes, but I get all the dark meat," he warned as he did his best to reach the counter.

"Fine by me," she shrugged. Brittany looked out the window and saw Jack playing football with Tom. _So random, _she thought. "I'm going to go play football," she announced.

"Alright," Ben said with his eyebrows raised in surprise. "Don't break anything."

"I'll try not to," she smiled and kissed his forehead on the scar which was still quite visible. She ran out of the house and crept up behind Tom, who had the football. After winking at Jack, she jumped on Tom's back and tackled him to the ground.

"What the-?"

"HA!" Brittany jumped off of him. "You just got sacked!"

Tom laughed and climbed to his feet. "Well done. I wasn't expecting an attack from behind."

"Can I play?" she asked.

"Sure, you can be on my team," Tom smiled.

"What about me?" Juliet magically appeared. Brittany looked down. Ever since she had learned Juliet had attempted to kill Ben, things were a little awkward between them. She still liked Juliet, but she couldn't understand why she hated Ben so much.

Brittany decided to try to amend things between them. "Yeah! Boys versus girls?" She gave Tom a smirk.

Jack joined them. "That sounds fun. You'll both lose, though."

"Is that so?" Juliet challenged.

He shrugged. "It's your funeral."

Both the ladies gaped and said, "Oh, it's so on!"

They took their places on the grass. A crowd had gathered to watch. The women were rooting for Brittany and Juliet while the men rooted for Jack and Tom. The men had the ball first. "Ready? HIKE!" Tom shouted.

Juliet ran for Jack, attempting to block him while Brittany took off for Tom. His eyes widened when he saw her coming. He threw the ball to Jack, who somehow managed to catch it and took off. Juliet chased him down and just managed to tackle him before he reached the end-zone. "Woohoo! Great job Juliet!" Brittany cheered. They slapped hands and took their places once more. Eventually, the men scored but didn't get their field goal. The ball was passed to the ladies.

Brittany was throwing. Juliet gave her the ball and ran off to catch it. Jack pursued her. Tom gave her a predatory look and stalked over. She looked over to Juliet, but Jack had her arms pinned down to her side; it almost looked like they were hugging. Juliet was laughing and trying to break free. She stumbled on his foot, and they both fell to the ground in a bunch of giggles.

Ruling out the choice of throwing the ball to Juliet, Brittany clutched it to herself. Meanwhile, Tom started to run toward her. "Eep," she sputtered. Just before he lunged to take her down, she darted to the side and ran for her life. Tom was hot on her heels. She ran around in circles, jumping over Jack and Juliet when she reached them.

"Hey! You can't run in circles!" Tom yelled after her.

"Yes, I can!" she shouted back. She ran around in a few more circles and even formed the number eight on the grass. Finally, she made it to the end-zone. "YES!" she roared and proceeded to do the silly dances the football players always did when scoring a touchdown. Juliet hugged her and they continued to play.

As the sun set, the game finally ended. The score 12-14. The winners, do you want to know? Do you really want to know? You guessed it, the women! Woooooooooooohoooooooooooooooo!!

The men all groaned and walked back to their homes defeated. The women rushed to Juliet and Brittany and congratulated them on their win. "No hard feelings from before?" she asked Juliet once the crowd had cleared.

Juliet smiled. "Forgive and forget." They shook hands. Brittany felt much better knowing things were good between them again. As Juliet left, Brittany finally spotted Ben watching from the porch on his house.

She joined him. "Enjoy the game?"

"My first officer was beaten by two females. A little depressing since he's the size of both of them put together," Ben sighed in mock despair.

"Well, he definitely put up a fight," Brittany muttered.

Ben smiled. "Dinner's ready."

"Great, I'm starving!" She patted her empty stomach. She followed him into the house and sat at the table. He served the chicken and they ate. One thing was certain: Ben was by far the best cook in the house. Possibly the entire island.

"That was delicious, Ben. I love your cooking," she sighed happily.

"I'm happy to hear that. Now, go to bed," he ordered.

Brittany rolled her eyes, used to his ways of showing affection. "Night, Ben." She kissed his cheek and jumped onto her couch.

Ben watched her then retired to his own room. As the lights turned out, Brittany realized that she had never seen Ben in his pajamas. He always changed in his room then went to sleep. She waited the usual amount of time she did, then stood up from the couch and snuck into his room He never knew she slept there for she always woke before he did and left back to her couch.

Just as she began to drift off, something tripped over her. She grunted and tried to see what had practically walked on her. She thought she heard the closet door close and looked in that direction. "Alex?" Ben called. So, he was awake. All of a sudden, light flashed in the room as Ben turned on the light.

"Gah! My eyes!" she cried, clutching her head. Brittany fell backwards on the floor and rubbed her eyes. When she opened them, she saw John looking at her with a smile on his face. "Hello, John!" she said happily.

"John?" Ben said in disbelief. "You can put the gun down, John," he attempted to soothe him. "I can tell you where Jack is."

"I'm not here for Jack. I'm here for the submarine. Where is it?" John asked.

Alex suddenly appeared, and, after making a most awkward suggestion, entered. John seized her and they hid in the closet. Tom and some random guy Brittany had met a while back named Richard came in.

"Wooh! Party at Ben's house!" Brittany exclaimed, standing up. It seemed anyone who was anyone was coming here. Ben finally took notice of her.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked.

"Sleeping of course! I don't trust you in here alone. You and your suspicious scar. Voldemort will be sending you visions soon. I have to make sure I'm nearby to trip you before you run off to save someone who doesn't need saving," Brittany said seriously.

"But I can't walk," Ben pointed out.

"Neither could FDR," she said.

"What does he have to do with Harry Potter?" Ben questioned, starting to get confused.

"Nothing! Why do you think he does? He wasn't even alive when Harry was!" Brittany scoffed, putting her hands on her hips.

Ben looked at her like she was insane. "Just…be quiet. Tom, what do you need?"

"We've caught Jarrah and Austen," Tom reported.

"Separate them. I want to know how they found us," Ben ordered. "Richard, wait a moment."

Tom left but Richard remained. "I need you to bring the man from Tallahassee," Ben told him.

Richard gave him a strange look. "What do you need him for?"

"Just do it," Ben said quickly. Brittany watched as Richard left.

"Who the hell is from Tallahassee?" Brittany exclaimed, looking at him.

"That's exactly what I would like to know," John said, coming out of the closet.

Brittany's eyes widened when she saw Tamara. "Tamara! What are you doing in Ben's closet?"

They started talking, completely ignoring Ben and John's conversation. After awhile, Brittany realized that they had left Ben's room. "Whoa! Apparation!" she cried.

Tamara and Brittany left the room and walked into the living room They found John eating chicken and Ben staring sadly at the floor. "Whoa! You're in a wheelchair!" Tamara suddenly exclaimed, pointing at Ben.

He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. "Obviously."

"So, you're paralyzed."

Ben merely stared at her, a slight scowl on his face.

Tamara looked over at Brittany. "Sucks to be you." Brittany blushed and looked away. They were saved from an awkward silence when Alex joined them once more.

"Did you have any trouble?" Ben questioned. Alex shook her head and handed a bag over to John. Apparently, they had been talking about it while Tamara and Brittany tuned them out.

"Now, she needs to take me to the submarine," John said, shouldering the bag.

"I'll take you, she's done enough," Ben said sharply.

"You'll just slow me up," John shot back.

"Ooh, burn," Tamara muttered.

"I'll take you!" Brittany offered.

"Do you know where the submarine is?" John asked.

Brittany faltered. "…No, but I have a map I made myself!" She took out a piece of paper and showed it to him. Looking at it, she frowned. "Never mind, this is just a map I printed off in order to play _World of Warcraft. _I get so lost," she sighed sadly.

"I know what you mean," John nodded.

"Geek moment," Tamara sang.

"I'll take you," Alex said grudgingly and left the house once more with John behind her.

Ben was still peeved at being unable to have the last word. "Awe, don't worry, Ben. I'll make you a cane and paint fire one it," she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, then when you walk, it'll look like you're going really fast! Just like on_ House_," Tamara assured him.

Ben grunted and rolled himself over to the couch. He sat on it and laid his head back. Tamara was about to say something, but Brittany waved her off. "Don't bother. It's his form of meditation. He probably won't register what you're saying."

Tamara looked at the vacated wheelchair. "In that case…" she rolled it away from him and sat in it. "Push me!"

Brittany laughed and pushed her at a dangerous speed around the house. They crashed into walls a few times. Once Brittany even flipped over the handlebars and Tamara herself, and ended up at her feet. "Ow," she moaned.

It wasn't until they found a spare wheelchair that the fun really began. They started racing one another down the hallway and crashed each other into the walls. Finding an orange, they played catch with it. Of course, they grew bored with this and started standing on the wheelchairs and surfing instead. That almost led to many broken bones, so they stopped.

Laughing and rubbing their many bruises, they collapsed on the couch next to Ben, who had remained motionless throughout the entire thing. It wasn't until Brittany laid her head on his chest that he looked down at her. "Jack is going to be very angry with me," he said. "And John. This will be the second time he's ruined Jack's plans of escaping."

"What is John planning to do, exactly?" Brittany asked.

"He's going to blow up the submarine. He will succeed." Ben perked up, then. "Someone's coming. Will you roll my chair over here?"

Brittany stood and helped him into his chair. Just as he got comfortable, Jack and Juliet walked in. Ben looked at them and rolled to the kitchen. He put the chicken John had left out into the fridge. Finally, he turned and asked, "Don't you knock?"

Brittany smirked and sat on the couch. Tamara waved to Juliet and smiled. Jack ignored his comment. "I have a favor I need to ask you. I need you to release my friends."

"Who else is here?" Brittany asked questioningly.

Juliet answered her. "Kate and Sayid."

"What about-?"

"I guess there's no need for me to keep them," Ben quickly cut her off.

"Do I have your word on that?" Jack fixed his eye on him.

"You have my word." Ben shook his hand.

Jack stepped back and Juliet gave Ben a pained look. "I guess this is it," Ben told her.

"Thank you,, Ben. For keeping your promise," she whispered.

Ben nodded and smiled. They left and Brittany was finally able to ask, "Why didn't you warn them about John?"

Without turning his gaze from the door, he replied, "They'll find out in time."

"You want Locke to blow up the submarine," Tamara said, understanding.

"Ben finally looked at them. He nodded. "But why?" Tamara asked.

"Because I can't let anyone leave the island," he replied.

"But why not?" Brittany pressed.

Ben gave her a curious look, as if wondering if he should tell her something or not. "Perhaps I'll show you why one day, Brittany." He sighed and abruptly changed the subject. "I need to change. I feel strange being the lone wolf in the pajama party." He smirked and rolled off to his room.

Brittany followed him. "Do you need help?" she asked through the closed door.

"No, thank you, Brittany. I can manage," came his tired reply.

"Sheesh. You're really pressing it, aren't you?" Tamara gave her a sly look once she returned to the living room.

"What? No! I just want to help take care of him. It's a more difficult task than I thought. He's too damn proud to accept anyone's help," she muttered irritably.

"So, love life's good, then?" Tamara smiled.

"Meh. I can't complain. Our relationship is very different. Although he isn't aware of it, Ben is in dire need of loving. When you've been with him for as long as I have, you can see the loneliness in his eyes. He must have had a rough childhood to feel so alone."

"Don't you know about his family?" Tamara asked.

"No. He's very secretive about his past. I'm alright with it, though. I know he'll tell me when he deems the time is right."

"You have a lot of faith in him," Tamara noticed.

Brittany paused. She had never thought about that before. She had trusted Ben in a lot of things now that she thought about it. It seemed so natural to trust him. "Huh. What do you know? I guess I never really realized it. I know he probably seems a poor choice in resting your life in his hands, but I know he's a good guy. Despite all he's done to Jack and the others, I know it was in the best intentions. His ways are strange, but he's done what he has to."

"Sheesh. I was only stating my opinion," Tamara smirked.

Brittany rolled her eyes. Just then, Ben returned. "I believe John is being apprehended as I speak. Who'd like to rub his failure in his face with me?" Ben smirked.

"Me!" Brittany and Tamara cried simultaneously.

"Good. Brittany," he gestured to the wheelchair's handlebars. Brittany walked behind him and pushed him out the house. They walked/rolled down the path and into a rusty bunker.

"You didn't tuck your shirt in Ben, tsk tsk," Tamara waved her finger at him.

"It's sort of hard when one can't stand," Ben replied curtly. "Just through here," he directed to Brittany. Richard was already waiting for them.

"He's here," Richard said, indicating a room.

"And the submarine?" Ben questioned.

Richard nodded. Ben's smirk grew. "I'll see him now." Richard led them to a different room than he had previously indicated. He unlocked the door and Brittany let Ben roll himself in. Who was inside but John Locke with his hands cuffed to a pipe.

"Well, you've really gone and done it now, John," Ben said in a disapproving tone.

"You can stop pretending. We both know you wanted it to happen. That's why you left the dynamite in Sayid's pack," John sighed.

"Uncuff him, please, Richard." Ben moved back. Brittany and Tamara listened closely.

"So, John blew up the submarine we painted?" Tamara gave her a sad look.

"I guess so," she replied as sadly.

"Why must the good die young?!" Tamara sobbed.

They had to move out of the way as the men inside walked out of the room. Brittany quickly gripped the wheelchair's handlebars and pushed Ben before Richard could. She stuck out her tongue at him and followed him down the hallway. They stopped outside the door they had seen earlier.

Richard opened it dramatically and Locke looked inside. A man tied to a chair and gagged stared unbelievingly back. "Dad?" John asked.

"Whoa! Insane!" Brittany hissed to Tamara.

They watched as John walked in. "You ladies might want to wait outside. This is a father-son moment," Ben said over his shoulder.

Brittany and Tamara peeked inside and watched as John hesitantly approached the man. "I wouldn't-," Ben started to say, but John quickly jumped back as his dad bit him.

"Oh my god! John's dad is a cannibal!" Tamara cried. "You poor thing." She gave him a sympathetic look. Tom rushed forward and electrocuted John's dad.

Brittany's eyes widened in amusement. "Can I?" she asked Tom, walking into the room.

Tom glanced at Ben then shrugged. "Sure thing."

Brittany took the zapper from him and looked at it. An evil smile formed on her lips. She zapped his Dad then quickly pulled back, then zapped him again. She laughed as his eyes went from wide-open to closed to wide open to closed. "Alright, Brittany. Let's not kill the man," Ben said, though he had a ghost of a smile on his face.

Brittany handed the zapper back to Tom and continued pushing Ben down the hallway. She listened as they talked about magic boxes and a temple and other such boring things that she tuned out. She did pay attention, however, when Ben started talking about leaving. "Leaving? Where to?"

By this time they had left John, who was going to say goodbye to Kate. "An old place. The island is changing, and we must prepare for the coming war," Ben told her.

Tamara perked up. "What war?"

Ben hesitated, but turned to her in his chair. "There are other forces at work off this island. Forces far more evil than what ours appears to be. I've seen a chain of events that I have to stop or else we will all perish."

Brittany frowned as he spoke. She could tell he was being serious and wasn't over-stating anything. "How do you know this?" she asked him.

He stiffened slightly. "I know because my superior has told me and I must follow his rule." Before Brittany could question who his superior was, he quickly said, "The man I follow is very secretive. He likes to remain hidden and a secret. Only those who he deems worthy can see him or talk to him." His head rose slightly in pride.

Sensing that the conversation was at an end, Tamara asked, "When do we leave?"

"We prepare today and leave this afternoon."

A few hours later, they were indeed packed up and ready to start their march. Ben had the most supplies. Brittany had asked him if he wanted to bring the kitchen sink as well, to which he rolled his eyes and started talking to Richard.

Brittany was sitting on his couch, flipping through a book as she waited for Ben to finish changing and lead the march. "Brittany, will you come here?" Ben called from his bedroom.

She marked her place and stood up. "What's up?" she asked as she entered the room. Her mouth fell open in shock as she saw him leaning against a table. He was smiling in disbelief as well. "Y-you're walking!" she exclaimed, grinning.

Ben pushed himself off of the table and hobbled over to her. "I need something to lean on, but I can stand up," he said.

Laughing, Brittany enveloped him in a hug and helped him stand. She could feel him smile over her shoulder. She listened to his heartbeat for a moment then pulled back. "Finally. I was getting tired of having to look down at you. I was starting to get a crick in my neck."

Ben chuckled and kissed her cheek. As usual, she blushed and looked down. "Come, my dear. Let's see if Richard has found me a walking stick yet." He wrapped an arm around her waist, propping himself up more than anything. She put an arm around his ribs and supported him.

Richard was waiting for them outside, stick in hand. "You're walking," he stated with a smile as they approached him.

"Yep," Ben grinned. "Is Juliet in place?"

Richard nodded. "The men are awaiting your orders."

"Is everyone else gone?"

"All except Smart."

"Where is she?" Brittany asked.

"Behind you!" Tamara suddenly shouted.

Brittany jumped and turned around. "Oh. There you are."

"Juliet told me about her mission," Tamara said to Ben.

"And?" Ben shrugged.

"You can't do that to her! To any of them! You have no right-!"

Ben cut her off. "What she's doing may save their lives. At least if they suddenly drop down dead, their husbands will know why."

Tamara glared at him, and she pulled Brittany away from him. Ben returned the glare but allowed her to take Brittany. Once they were out of earshot, Brittany asked, "What was that all about?"

"Ben's given orders to Juliet to test all the women if they're pregnant or may be pregnant. Then, he's going to send a team and collect them all."

Brittany snorted. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know! All Juliet told me was that women died when they became pregnant. Maybe he's going to make them have an abortion or something," Tamara guessed.

"Hmm. I wonder why they die," Brittany thought aloud.

"That's the question, isn't it?" Tamara and Brittany finally caught up to the rest of the group, where Tom was in temporary lead.

"Hey, Tom. What was with the gas masks?" Brittany asked, recalling seeing the men wearing the masks.

"We've got to spray some gas to make Shepard, Jarrah, and Austen fall asleep. Juliet's going to be handcuffed to Austen and she'll end up being taken to their camp. She has work to do there," Tom said.

"I know about her work. Why does she have to test the women?" Brittany further questioned.

"Ben's been trying to solve the fertility problem since I got here. Why he's so obsessed with it, you'll have to ask him," Tom shrugged.

"Ask me what?" Ben's voice suddenly cut in. He walked up to them, walking stick in hand. Tom grinned when he saw that he was walking. "Well?"

Brittany shook her head. "It's nothing." He looked at her thoughtfully but then walked on. Once Ben had took his place up front, they headed off into the jungle. Tamara and Brittany walked together for awhile, talking about this and that. Alex joined them and they started talking to her. When Brittany asked about Karl, she grew sad and silent.

"Don't worry, Ben will let up on you guys eventually. I'll talk to him about it," Brittany assured her. Alex merely shrugged.

"He tried to brainwash him," she said quietly.

Brittany snorted in laughter. "Really? Wow! I've never seen a more protective parent!"

"Yeah, well. He's getting really annoying," Alex snapped through gritted teeth.

"He just cares." Brittany placed a hand on her shoulder.

"His care is killing me," Alex groaned. Brittany laughed and patted her on the back.

"Hey, Alex! Let's shoot things with slingshots!" Tamara suddenly declared. That cheered her up. Smiling, Alex and Tamara ran off, slingshots in hand. Brittany moved up the group until she was walking beside Ben. He smiled at her then continued his conversation with John. "Yes, John. Michael really is in a safe place. As is Walt," he was saying.

"Hello again, Brittany," John grinned, seeing that she had joined them.

"Hey, John. How's the hand?"

"Stings like a needle. I wonder if he has rabies," John teased.

Brittany laughed and looked over her shoulder at John's dad being dragged along with them. It wasn't long before they reached the pylon fence. Tom came forth and entered the code. "How far are we traveling today?" she asked.

"Not very far," Ben replied, not meeting anyone's eyes. She knew that he was growing tired. Actually, now that she thought about it, it was foolish of him to go walking just out of the blue. She moved closer to him in case he needed her support.

They continued walking until the sun started to go down. Ben led them to a nice clearing where a totem pole-like thing was sticking out of the ground. "Tie him up there." Ben pointed to the totem pole-like thing. Richard dragged John's dad over there. "We'll make camp here tonight," he announced to the crowd.

Everyone split up and started pitching up their tents. Brittany followed Ben over to where a bunch of guys were pitching his tent for him. "Hey! Where am I sleeping?" Tamara asked, coming out of nowhere.

"Not here," Ben said cheerfully and walked into the now finished tent.

Brittany rolled her eyes at him. "Alex doesn't have a roommate. You can room with her."

Tamara nodded and watched John as he helped people set up their tents. "I killed a man, you know."

Brittany rose her eyebrow in shock. "You did?"

"Yeah. I pushed this guy named Mikhail through that fence thing and he like, had a seizure. It's a pity. Mikhail had an awesome collection of movies. He even had _Star Trek_!" Tamara exclaimed.

"Grr. How dare you kill a Trekkie. There's only a few of us left," Brittany sighed sadly.

"Especially on this island. They don't even watch _The Brady Bunch_," Tamara told her in dismay.

"How do you know?"

"I asked Alex. They're all really sheltered, but then again, they're really not."

Brittany looked at John's dad who was now tied up. "Why do you think we brought him? There's a possibility he might have rabies."

"I don't know. Something to do with John, I'm sure. He's obviously not wanted here."

"He's not very friendly, is he?" Brittany watched as he glared at passersby.

"Thank goodness John isn't a daddy's boy," Tamara smirked. "Right, well, I better go find Alex. See ya later." She walked off.

Brittany entered the tent and found Ben setting things on his desk. "Hey," she smiled.

"Hello," he replied.

"Why don't you sit down? I'll take care of unpacking." She touched his shoulder.

"I'm fine. I'm not tired," Ben said abruptly and continued unpacking.

Brittany set her foot down. "Ben, either you sit down or I'll strap you down!"

Ben straightened and turned to her with raised eyebrows. "Alright, I'll sit down. Though the experience of having you strap me down is most comical in my mind," he smirked as he sat.

"Good boy," she praised and patted him on the head. Brittany turned and unpacked the rest of his materials. Her eyes lit up when she found a journal. "Ooh! The secret diary of Benjamin Linus," she murmured, starting to open it.

"Exactly. _My _secret journal. As in, other eyes are not meant to read it," Ben said tersely, standing up and holding out his hand.

"No way! What are the odds of ever finding out your deepest, darkest secrets? Not very high. I'm going to get to know you, B en. Whether I have to listen or by reading your autobiography." She waved the book in front of him.

He sighed deeply. "Very well." He sat back on his cot and looked at her expectantly. "What would you like to know?"

"Where are you from?" Brittany asked instantly, sitting down next to him.

"I was born in the woods/ I never really stayed in one place for long. My father kept losing his job. One day he applied for something to which he thought he would change the world. And so I was brought to this island. Unfortunately for him, his part in helping the world was cleaning up after the real heroes," Ben smirked.

"What was your dad's name?" Brittany asked.

Ben paused. "Roger. Roger Linus."

"And your mom?"

A look of brief despair shone through his eyes, but he quietly masked it with his usual unemotional stare. "She died when I was very young. Her name was Emily."

"Emily." She smiled thoughtfully. "Emily and Roger."

Ben cleared his throat awkwardly. She could sense he wasn't comfortable talking about his parents. "What's your favorite color?" she changed the subject.

He smirked at her question. "Green, yours?"

"Purple," Brittany chirped instantly. "Favorite food?"

His smile grew. "I'm quite fond of chicken actually. I love dark meat."

"Roasted chicken is the best," she agreed. "Ben, why are you so insistent on fertility experiments?"

His smile vanished and his face grew cold. "Why do you want to know?"

"Everyone says you're obsessed with it, and I know Juliet went to the camp to collect women who she found pregnant." She paused. "Ben, did something happen?"

He avoided her eyes. "This society can't function without children." Ben rose then, ending all further conversation by calling for Tom.

"Yeah?" Tom entered.

"I need you to bring John here," Ben replied. Tom left again. "If you'd kindly excuse yourself, Brittany. John and I have some business to talk about."

Brittany rose and crossed her arms over her chest. "No. I'm staying."

"Brittany, this doesn't concern you." Ben turned fully on her, his eyes betraying his annoyance.

"_Ben, _I want in! Whatever it is you have up your sleeves, I want to be a part of it." She touched his elbow gently.

He shrugged her off. "No, you don't. It's too complicated. This life isn't made for you. You're too delicate. Too damned optimistic."

"You'd be surprised by how well I can adapt. Ben, I want to be with you, but how can I if you don't trust me?" Brittany caught his eye and held it. "You're scared of something and I want to know what it is."

His face flinched slightly under her pleading stare. She could almost see a yearning look in his eyes. "There are people looking for this island. If they find it, all will be lost." He was about to say more, but John walked in. "John! Please, take a seat." Ben gestured to a chair. Brittany sat on the cot and watched the two men interact.

She was surprised when Ben pulled out a glass of brandy. "I didn't know you were the drinking kind," she said aloud.

"I splurge when the occasion calls for it," Ben shrugged and set John's glass next to him. Ben took a sip and sat next to Brittany.

The guys talked about the island and how John was special. However, she perked up when Ben told him he had to kill his father. John, obviously, wasn't expecting that either. "You have until tonight. Until then, John." Ben dismissed him.

Looking as though he was in a daze, John left the tent. Brittany turned to Ben. "Why does he have to kill his dad?" she asked him.

"I need to prove to my people that John is not the same as me. That he isn't special." He looked almost frantic.

"But you just told John that he was spec-,"

"I told him what he wanted to hear. I don't deny that he has a communion with this island. It is that fact which makes me have to take cautionary steps around him," Ben said.

Brittany realized what he was saying. "You're afraid he'll take over and kick you out of your throne."

Ben blinked. "I wouldn't have put it so blandly, but yes. John is a major threat to my leadership. So, when he fails to kill his father, and I know he will, my people will see that he isn't any different from anyone else."

"Don't your people have faith in you?"

"In a sense, yes. But people grow weary of the same leader for long periods of time. They like change. Unfortunately, some of my decisions have made some wary. They're looking for someone to take over my position."

"How did you become the leader, anyway?" Brittany asked curiously.

Ben smiled shrewdly at her. "That, my dear, is a tale for another time."

"Ben-,"

"Brittany, please. Now is not the time," he cut in with a pleading look. She backed off reluctantly. The rest of the day was spent talking about her own life back at home. Ben was very interested in where she lived, the music she listened to, and the books she read. Before they knew it, night had fallen.

"It's time for John to take a fall from his cloud," Ben declared, grabbing his walking stick and walking out of his tent.

Brittany followed close behind him. She was soon joined by Tamara. "Hey, Tamara! Sorry I didn't hang out with you. Ben and I were getting to know each other."

"It's alright. Alex and I were fooling around with Tom. Whenever he tied up a part of his tent, we shot stones at it with slingshots until it became untied." She grinned evilly. "He was so confused."

Brittany laughed and gave her a high five. "So, what's going on?"

"Ben's going to make John fall from a cloud," she beamed.

Tamara gave her an incredulous look. They reached John, who wasn't cool enough to have a tent. Ben tapped him with his can. "I can wake him faster!" Brittany exclaimed. She ran over to someone's ten and picked up a bucket of water. She ran back and splashed John completely. Unfortunately for him, he was already awake.

"Brittany! I'm already awake!" John snapped.

She shrugged. "Well, now you're refreshed."

Ben held back a smile. "It's time, John."

John gave him a quizzical look but followed him over to where his daddy was tied up. As they approached him, they found that John's father's face had been entirely done with girly makeup.

Ben turned to Tamara. "Am I correct in thinking that he has his new makeover courtesy of yourself and Alex?"

Tamara smiled proudly. "I reckon you'd be correct. Look at his eyeshadow, it matches his eyes beautifully." John's father snarled at her.

"I guess Tom wasn't the only one you were harassing today," Brittany nudged her playfully.

"Nope. Neither was he. We played a prank on Richard, too."

"Oh?" Brittany inquired with devilish glee.

"Mhm. We fill his socks with Dharma syrup. Priceless," Tamara smirked.

Ben continued with the ceremony. "I know it won't be easy." He placed the knife in John's hand. "The quicker you do it, the better." Tamara and Brittany watched in apprehension and suspense as John took the knife and held it to his father's throat. Around them, a crowd gathered. John's father egged him on and called him a coward.

John's hand shook and he stepped back. His father smirked and started to insult him. Ben grabbed his cane and knocked him unconscious. Tamara winced at the smacking sound.

Ben glared down at his unconscious body. Brittany felt her heart rate increase and stared at Ben in wonder. "That was such a turn on," she whispered to him.

Instead of shying down as she had suspected he would, he smirked and switched his stick to the other hand. "Well, now I know that if I want to get you in the mood, all I have to do is whack a few people upside the head."

Tamara took a few steps away from them, a look of unease on her face. Ben took the knife from John's hand a turned to the crowd. "I'm sorry. He's not who we thought he was." John, who was looking thoroughly confused and ashamed, walked away dejectedly. An almost satisfied look crossed Ben's face. "We have a long trip tomorrow. I suggest we all get some sleep," he told them. Slowly, the people walked back to their tents. Tamara left for Alex's tent.

To her surprise, Brittany felt Ben take her hand and lead her back to their tent. Once he closed the tent flap, a change came over him. He leaned his stick against his chair and he seemed much older. Brittany smiled despite this, for she knew he was allowing her to see him in his weakness.

Taking him by his shoulders, she guided him to the cot and helped him lied down. He sighed wearily and relaxed. Brittany smiled softly down at him and moved one of the pillows to the floor. She laid herself down on the floor and fluffed up her pillow.

"Brittany, how do you expect to take care of me if you're sleeping on the floor?" Ben's voice floated down to her. She could practically see his smirk. She stood back up and moved over to the cot. She could hear him moving over. Brittany grinned and laid down next to him.

"Reminds me of the hatch days," she said quietly, looking over at him.

"Are we pretending?" Ben asked, his voice quieter still. She knew what he was asking.

"No. At least, I'm not," she replied. She reached out and stroked his hair affectionately.

He closed his eyes at her touch. "Do you think I am?"

She hesitated. "I don't know. I don't think so."

Ben opened his eyes. "I'm not pretending." Her smile grew. He wrapped an arm around her and placed his head under her chin. She kissed the top of his head and rubbed his back soothingly. She lay awake until she heard his breathing even out and slip into sleep. Closing her eyes, Brittany followed him into blissful sleep.

The next morning, she woke with the feeling of lost warmth. She opened her eyes and realized that Ben was already up and moving. "Good morning," he said, packing up his things.

"Morning," she yawned. "Time to go already?"

He nodded. "We need to continue to the Temple."

"What's at the Temple?"

"…Safety," he replied.

Richard walked in them. He looked a little uncomfortable. Brittany smirked, remembering the syrup in his socks. "Everyone's ready. When you're ready, we'll take down your tent."

"Thank you, Richard. I'm nearly finished." Ben continued to pack. Richard nodded and left.

"So, now that you've put John in his proper place, what are you going to do next?" Brittany asked, climbing off of the cot and folding it up.

"I'm going to get rid of him. He needs to be as far away as possible," Ben said.

"_Why _is he such a threat to you?"

Ben halted his packing and looked at her. "He may be able to see him."

"Who?" Brittany inquired.

"Jacob." Before she could question further, he took her hand and led her out of the tent. "Why don't you go see if Tamara is alright?"

Brittany sighed and allowed him to change the subject. "Alright. Catch you later." She kissed his cheek and left.

It took her a while to find Tamara. As she had suspected, Tamara was hanging out with Alex. "So, who's the target today?" she smirked.

They looked at her guiltily but then realized who she was and relaxed. "Ben," Tamara smiled evilly.

Brittany rose an eyebrow. "Really? Well, I'm in."

Alex grinned. "Excellent. Now we have someone on the inside. You can distract him while Tamara and I work."

"What are you doing exactly?"

"Well, you know his fascination with bunnies?" Tamara began. Brittany nodded. "They all have numbers on their backs. Alex says that number eight is Ben's favorite. So, we're going to paint a number eight on the other bunnies."

"He won't be able to tell which one is Benjamin Jr." Alex smiled triumphantly.

Brittany laughed. "Awesome! Shall I distract him now?"

"No, wait until we start moving. It will be easier that way."

And so, the rest of that day was spent carrying out their prank on Ben. Distracting him had been quite easy on Brittany's part. A simple game of "I Spy" kept him entertained for hours on end.

As sunset came upon them, Tamara and Alex joined them with triumphant smiles. "Mission accomplished?" Brittany whispered. They both glanced at Ben and nodded. "Excellent."

When they camped that night, Brittany was climbing trees with Tamara and Alex collecting bananas. "Wooh for sources of potassiuuuuum!" Tamara cried as she jumped to the ground.

"Yeah!" Brittany jumped down next to her. They split up the bananas and started eating them.

Alex was silent through the entire ordeal. "What's the matter, Alex?" Brittany asked.

"It's my dad's birthday tomorrow," she said quietly. "He's always very quiet on his birthday. He never told me why."

Brittany frowned. "Quiet as in depressed?" Alex nodded. "Well then, we should throw him a surprise birthday party!"

"No. I hate him," Alex growled suddenly. "He tried to brainwash Karl!"

"Seriously? Cool," Brittany said in awe. Alex glared at her. "I mean, that was very cruel of him."

Alex crossed her arms over her chest. "So, I will take no part in celebrating my dad's birthday." Brittany looked at her sadly but nodded.

"Alright, Alex. Tamara and I will instead." She grinned at Tamara.

"Me? I don't even really like him. He's creepy," Tamara argued.

"Too bad! You're helping." She grabbed her arm and pulled her back to camp. They spent most of the night planning the party. When it was finished, everyone else had gone to bed. Groaning in weariness, Tamara and Brittany left for their designated tents.

Ben was already sleeping when Brittany entered the tent. She crawled into the cot next to him and nestled her head in the crook of his neck. "Where have you been?" he asked, his voice way below a whisper.

"Around," Brittany shrugged. She was expecting him to ask further, but instead she heard his quiet snoring. Smiling to herself, she followed suit.

The next morning, as before, Ben was already up. Feeling still extremely tired, Brittany groaned and ruffled her hair. She noticed he was holding a wooden doll. "What's that?" she asked.

He barely stirred. "It was a gift from a very dear friend of mine. Today's my birthday."

Brittany hid a grin. "Really? Happy birthday, Ben." She stood and kissed his cheek. Bending over, she hugged him from behind and touched her cheek against his. "Alex told me you're always a little depressed on your birthday. Will you tell me why?"

He sighed heavily and laid the doll on his desk. "My mother died when I was born. I was prematurely born and it resulted in her death. My father," his voice grew more angry, "delighted in reminding me of my murder as he called it. He was an alcoholic."

Brittany listened with a sympathetic ear. She waited for him to finish. "Something happened on my birthday. Something which changed the island forever. Something that I helped cause."

"And that would be…?"

"The deaths of many, including my father," he said at last.

Brittany pulled back then, a frown firmly set. "You mean you k-killed your father?"

Ben stood and looked at her. He nodded slowly. "I made him suffocate."

Brittany just stared at him. "It wasn't what I thought it would. I didn't enjoy it, but I would do the same thing if I had to."

"Ben, you killed your father," Brittany said in disbelief.

"I don't expect you to understand or approve. All I can ask is that you don't judge me too harshly," Ben said.

She hesitated. "Alright Ben. We'll not brood over it." Brittany wrapped her arms around him again and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt him relax and hug her back. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you," he replied.

Richard walked in a shrank slightly at the sight in front of him. "Am I interrupting?" he asked.

Ben pulled back. "No, Richard. It's my birthday today. You do remember birthdays, don't you?"

Richard smiled. "I was wondering if you wanted me to give Tom the recorder."

"I already gave it to you yesterday," Ben suddenly snapped. Richard looked confused. Ignoring him, Ben walked past him and out the tent. "Tom? Have you seen my recorder?" he asked. Tom wasn't looking at him. Ben followed his gaze, his own eyes widened when he saw John Locke with a bag over his back.

John threw the bag to the ground. Brittany, who was just walking out of the tent, could clearly see that it was a body. "You told me that if I killed my father, you would tell me everything I wanted to know about the island. Why don't you start at the beginning?" Ben seemed to be at a loss for words. His eyes dropped from John to the body then back up to John.

"Come with me, John," Ben said finally and motioned him into the tent.

"I think we're going to have to put the party on hold," Brittany whispered to Tamara.

"Man! And I spent all morning collecting vines, too!" Tamara pouted.

"Let's go see what they're up to." Brittany and Tamara entered the tent and stood in the corner. Ben hardly acknowledged them.

"You probably think I run this little group, but I don't. We all answer to someone, John," Ben was saying.

"What's his name?" John asked.

"His name is Jacob." Brittany and Tamara looked at each other in surprise.

"Then take me to Jacob," John said pleasantly.

"I can't do that," Ben shook his head.

"Why not?"

"No one can see him."

"You mean you're the only one?"

"Yes. Jacob doesn't talk to anyone else. He talks to me. Trusts me," Ben replied, his voice betraying his irritation.

"How convenient. I think you're lying, Ben. I think you're the leader. The man behind the curtain. The Wizard of Oz."

"Can I be Dorothy?" Tamara suddenly asked. Everyone turned and looked at her. "Er…or not."

"If you weren't lying, your hand wouldn't be shaking." John gestured to Ben's hand. Ben steadied his hand and winced slightly.

Suddenly a yell from outside caught their attention. "Where's Ben?"

Tamara recognized it. "Whoa! Mikhail!" Grabbing Brittany's hand, she pulled her out of the tent. "This is that one guy I was talking about. The one I killed!"

Ben walked out after them, looking all regal. "I thought you were dead," he said in void of a greeting.

Mikhail smirked. "Unfortunately, the pylons were not set to a lethal level." Then John walked out. "What is he doing here?"

As they talked, Brittany studied the new man. He was pretty cool with his Russian accent and eye patch. Suddenly, John started attacking Mikhail. Ben stepped back in surprise. "Richard!" he called. "Tom!" The two men didn't move.

Brittany and Tamara decided to help. "Come on, John," Brittany grunted and pulled him off of Mikhail.

"Hi, Mikhail!" Tamara grinned and helped him to his feet.

Mikhail glared and wiped blood from his face. "You're here too? And who are you?" he looked at Brittany.

"Hello. My name's Brittany." She shook his hand enthusiastically. "You seem like a pretty cool dude. I hear you have a _Star Trek _collection?"

Mikhail smirked. "A friend of Tamara's, I can see, but what are you doing here?"

"I'm with Ben," she grinned. "So, what's this about a girl falling from a helicopter?"

"It's not my place to say. There was a most annoying boy there, Charlie, I believe. If it weren't for the Scottish man, I would have pelted him to the ground."

Tamara perked up. "Scottish? Desmond? Did he have brown hair?"

Mikhail nodded. "Aye. He's a frantic man, that one."

Tamara smiled dreamily.

Ben walked by carrying a water bottle. "Where are you going?" Brittany asked.

"I'm taking John to see Jacob," he replied simply.

"Well, I want to come!" Brittany exclaimed.

"No," Ben said firmly.

Brittany pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "Remember our little bet when I first arrived? You lost. I go where I want no matter what you say."

Ben smirked slightly but was annoyed nonetheless. "Very well. Grab what you need."

"Are you coming?" Brittany asked Tamara.

"Of course!" she beamed.

A few minutes later, they were all heading off into the jungle. While they walked, John kept asking questions to which Ben ignored. Brittany was slightly worried that he might overexert himself, but Ben seemed able to hobble without much difficulty. She stayed by his side anyway. "I guess we'll have to postpone the birthday party," Tamara whispered to Brittany.

Brittany nodded sadly. "Seems so."

Ben, with his super-power hearing, heard them. "Birthday party?"

Tamara and Brittany glanced at each other. "Happy birthday, Ben!" they chorused together and tackled him in a hug. John watched with an amused smile. Tamara quickly pulled back. "There! I hugged him. Are you happy now?" she glared at Brittany.

"Yup," she grinned and continued to hug him.

"Oh," Ben said. A surprised smile appeared on his lips.

"Shall we continue?" John asked impatiently.

Brittany reluctantly pulled away and allowed Ben to talk the lead once again. They didn't reach the cabin until nightfall. As Ben pushed on the door, it wouldn't budge. He looked somewhat confused.

"Jacob?" Brittany called.

Tamara grinned and joined in. "Open the door, Jacob."

"That's not funny!" Brittany beamed. Ben rolled his eyes at them and pushed on the door once more. This time, it opened.

When they entered, Brittany was somewhat surprised at the messy interior. She was even more surprised to see a man sitting in a chair.

"Jacob, this is John, Brittany, and Tamara," Ben introduced.

"Hi," Brittany and Tamara replied. John looked at them in confusion, as did Ben.

"You can see him?" he asked the girls.

"Yeah. He's right there." They pointed to the man.

"I like your monkey," Tamara said to him. The man moved his lips but no sound came out. "What was that?"

"He said thank you," Ben replied. His eyes narrowed in confusion. "Can you not hear him?"

"I guess not," Brittany shrugged. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Jacob."

Jacob nodded to her. He said something which made Ben smile widely. "What?" Brittany asked.

"Nothing," he said casually. "Can't you see him?" Ben asked John.

"See what? You're putting on a show for me." John scowled. "You're pathetic."

Brittany was about to argue when Ben took a step forward. "I'm sorry you're too limited to see."

John waved him off and moved to the door. He stopped suddenly and turned. "What did you say?" he asked and held up his flashlight in Ben's face.

Suddenly, the shack started shaking and going crazy. Ben yelled at Jacob, but he easily pushed Ben away and he hit a wall. John, being a chicken, ran out of the cabin. Tamara grabbed a jar of some icky liquid and extinguished a fire which and been lit by Ben's lantern. Brittany rushed to Ben's side.

"You alright?" she asked, taking his hand.

"Never better. Help me up, please," Ben grunted, struggling to get to his feet. She looped his arm over her shoulders and helped him up.

"There you go," she sighed once they were both standing.

"Thank you." He grabbed his walking stick and picked up his lantern. He looked at Jacob and shook his head. "Let's go find John," he said wearily and led them out of the cabin.

Outside, John looked at them in shock. "What was that?" he panted.

Ben gave him a "duh" look. "That was Jacob."

They started walking again. When daylight finally reached them, Ben turned to Brittany. "I think you'd better go back."

Brittany gave him a confused look. "What?"

He took her by the wrist and pulled her aside. "You need to leave."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to do something that you won't be proud of," Ben replied.

"Well, what about Tamara?" Brittany pointed out.

"She can stay."

"You're not going to hurt her, are you?" Brittany suddenly glared.

"No." Ben rolled his eyes. "For you, I'll let her be."

"What are you going to do to John?" Brittany asked hesitantly.

He glanced at her. "Something unpleasant."

Brittany frowned. Great. She was in love with a murderer. "I'm sorry," he said quietly and moved to hug her. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. He had to do it, and she couldn't stop him.

"I know," she whispered back. "In that case, we must continue the façade of casualness." Brittany pulled back and a smirk formed as an idea came to mind.

"What?" Ben chuckled.

"Happy belated birthday!" she cried and pressed her lips against his. She could feel his shock through the kiss, but without much hesitation relaxed into it and finally returned it. They broke apart, gasping for air. A small but happy smile was on his lips now. He watched her in amusement. "Sorry, all! I've got to take a short cut back to the camp. I don't trust Richard and Tom with taking care of party supplies. See ya!" Brittany waved and ran off.

As she ran, thousands of emotions ran through her. Fear, love, lust, hate, anxiety. When she reached the camp, she decided to busy herself with work so she didn't have time to think what was going on back with Tamara and Ben. She knew he wouldn't harm Tamara, but as for John, things were different. Ben must have seriously felt threatened by him. Poor thing. She would make sure he would return to a happy camp celebrating his belated birthday.

It took all day, when someone cried that he was coming, everyone hid. Except for Brittany. She absent-mindedly stoked the fire as he approached her. "Where is everyone?" he almost snapped.

She looked up at him in surprise. He was sweaty (which turned her on) and his clothes were all askew. "I don't know," she said mysteriously.

Then everyone jumped out of their hiding spots and cried, "Happy birthday, Ben!" He nearly jumped and looked around in shock as they pat him on the back and started shoving food in his mouth. He looked at Brittany inquiringly, to which she merely shrugged.

The vines that Tamara had collected hung off the tents in a banner which read: HPY B-DAY BENRY! Ben was led to the center of camp where a birthday cake was waiting for him. Hesitantly, he cut the cake and everyone tucked in. Once he was finished, Ben took Brittany and they left the crowd and entered their tent.

"What was that?" he asked breathlessly.

"Well, Alex told me you're always very depressed on your birthday, so I decided to cheer you up," she explained.

"I see that, but they actually agreed to do it? These people aren't normally the kind to celebrate my birthday."

"Well, they are now," Brittany smiled.

"Thank you, Brittany. I've never exactly had a birthday party before," he smiled warmly at her.

"You're very welcome," she said quietly and took his hand in hers. Then she realized something. "Where's Tamara?"

Ben winced. "She left."

"What?! Where?"

"I didn't hurt her. I kept my promise. Instead, I let her stay with John. My guess is that she'll return to Jack and Desmond."

Brittany frowned. "Yeah, probably. She did tell me she missed him. Ben, why aren't you worried that Tamara and I can see Jacob?"

Ben smiled. "Because I don't think you or Tamara plan on overthrowing my leadership. Besides, Jacob likes you for your ability to give everyone second chances and believe in anything. As do I."

She smiled at that. "I don't know, Ben. Recently, my thoughts have been turning to dictatorship. You might want to watch your back," she teased.

Ben smirked and pulled her into an embrace. He touched their foreheads together and Brittany looked into his piercing blue eyes. "I enjoyed your birthday present," he hinted mischievously.

She gave him a momentary look of confusion. Then it dawned on her. "Oh," she grinned. "So did I."

"Can I have another one?" he asked.

"Do you really need to ask?" she smirked.

"It's only polite," he replied.

"Well, stop being so polite," she laughed. Brittany leaned her head in and kissed him lightly. This time she didn't surprise him. He responded instantly and returned the kiss. Brittany quickly learned that Ben was the type who liked to touch and feel. He didn't like any space separating them. He held her close to him where she felt warm and safe.

When they pulled apart, Ben still held on tight to her as if he was afraid she would leave him. Brittany was slightly surprised at his new possessive feeling. "I love you, Ben," she said, attempting to assure him.

Ben locked eyes with her. He didn't say anything but only nodded. Slowly, he let go of her and took a step back. He sat on the cot and sighed wearily.

"Awe, poor you. You're probably thoroughly worn." Brittany placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned him back so he was lying down. "Here." She handed him a glass of water.

He sipped at it then handed the empty glass to her. "I'm so tired," he said quietly.

"I'll bet." Brittany crawled up next to him and positioned him so his head was in her lap. "Go ahead and sleep. I'll wake you if anything happens," she whispered in his ear.

Ben smiled and closed his eyes. She stroked his hair until she heard him fall asleep.

_Today_

When Brittany woke, she realized that she had fallen asleep as well. It was dark out. Ben had removed himself from her lap and was writing in his journal. She yawned and turned to him. "Wha'cha writing?" she asked.

"The events so far," he replied, sounding much more awake and alert. Suddenly his radio emitted static. He stopped writing and looked at it. "Hello?" he said, picking it up.

Ben stood and walked outside of the tent. Brittany groaned and waited a moment. Finally, she stood as well and followed after him. "Mikhail, I need you to go down there," Ben was saying.

Mikhail looked somewhat hurt. "I can be there at dawn. But if Juliet told them about the station, what else did she tell them?" Ben paled and switched frequencies.

Brittany gave them all a look of confusion. She walked over to Mikhail. "What's going on?" she asked him.

Mikhail gave her a look of surprise. "We were just informed that one of the survivors is going to the Looking Glass station. Whatever business he has down there isn't good for us."

"And what about Juliet?" Brittany inquired further.

"She's betrayed us," Mikhail replied casually. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to intervene." He walked past her into his own tent.

She glanced at Ben and saw his irritation was starting to grow. Wincing, she stayed away from him and hung with Richard. "What's up?" she asked.

Richard hardly acknowledged her. "I have a feeling Ben is going to make a rash decision." The rest of th night was spent in anticipated silence. Finally, Ben received new static on his walkie-talkie. It was Tom. Shooting a glance at Richard, he left for his tent. Brittany waited outside as well.

Once he heard him turn the radio off, she entered. "Well?" she asked quietly.

"They had dynamite. Karl warned them, so they rigged the tents with dynamite. Most of my men are dead," Ben replied automatically.

"Where are they now?"

"They're headed to the radio tower."

"And what do you intend to do?" Brittany pressed.

Ben looked over at her. "To meet them." The rest of the night was spent in silence as Ben planned his next move.

When the first of light shone through the tent, he walked out carrying a map, ruler, and marker. Hoping for some breakfast, Brittany followed. Instantly, Richard handed her a fried egg. She gave him a thankful look and ate it.

Richard then went to pester Ben. Brittany sat on a chair and finished her egg. She looked up when she heard Alex's voice join the conversation.

"Get your pack, I'm leaving in twenty minutes," Ben told her.

Brittany got to her feet. Before she could speak, Ben handed her _her _pack. "I had a feeling you might want to join me. This won't be fun, though. There's bound to be much discomfort."

She smiled and took the pack. "Sounds just like old times."

A smile grew on his face and he turned back to Richard. "Keep heading to the Temple. We'll join you when we can."

After twenty minutes, they were indeed heading off into the jungle. Alex looked somewhat uncomfortable walking by her dad, so she moved onto Brittany's right. Ben spent most of the walk talking to Mikhail on the walkie. If that was a cell phone, she could only imagine how many minutes he would have to pay for. This thought led to a wondering of what kind of ringtone he would have. This questioned entertained her for most of the trek.

After a good amount of hours, they finally reached the spot marked on Ben's map. "They should come up right there on that rise." He gestured to the middle of the hill. "Ah, here they come now." Ben moved slightly and Brittany bit back a laugh. It looked like he was posing. "Hello, Jack!" he called out.

Jack's expression was priceless. A look of horror and loathing formed on his face. Brittany looked out over the crowd until she spotted Tamara. "Hey, you!" she cried and skipped forward. Completely ignoring the fear-filled eyes of the others, she high fived Tamara.

"What's up?" Tamara grinned.

"The usual. You missed Ben's birthday party! Why'd you have to go and leave?" Brittany glared.

Tamara shrugged. "I missed Desmond. He says 'hi' by the way."

"Alright, I'll let you off the hook this time. Christmas, however, you'd better not run away," Brittany warned. "So, where is Desmond?"

Tamara frowned. "He went with Charlie to some Dharma station. It was kind of depressing. He seemed so sad."

Brittany frowned at her words. "That's not good. Ben and I came to stop – whoa, where'd he go?" she asked suddenly. She didn't see him or Jack together.

"They walked off together. I was watching them over your shoulder," Tamara told her. "I wonder where they're going." She gave Brittany a suggestive look.

Brittany rolled her eyes and grinned. She looked around at the uneasy faces. "I don't think they like me."

Tamara shrugged. "Their problem. Besides, you did kind of show up with the man they believe is their enemy."

"Where's Juliet?" Brittany asked curiously.

"She left with Sawyer to rescue our friends or something."

"And John?"

Tamara paused. "Ben shot John."

Brittany nodded slowly. "I had a feeling he did," she sighed. "Well, I pretty much accepted the fact that I love a murderer."

Tamara patted her on the back. "Good for you!" she said enthusiastically.

Just then, Jack came back, pushing Ben in front of him. He pushed him to the ground. Everyone stared at Ben. Danielle slowly approached Alex.

Brittany, finally realizing that Ben was back, moved over so she could see him. To her horror, his face was a bloody pulp. "Oh, Ben," she breathed and rushed forward.

"Don't mind me, I'll just lie her and bleed," Ben sighed sadly. "You girls get acquainted. Go ahead." He rested his head on his arm. Danielle was hugging Alex now. It was then that Brittany realized who Alex's mother really was.

Ignoring the two females, she dropped to Ben's side.

"Hello, Brittany," he smiled dizzily. "At least I still have you. Right?"

Brittany took his hand. "Always. Come on, let me clean you up somehow." She moved him so his back was resting against her propped up legs. Holding his head in her arm, Brittany ripped off her sleeve and started dabbing at his face. Most of the blood was already dry, so she could do anything but clean off some of the lesser cuts.

She hissed at the sight of him. "Sheesh. This is almost as bad as the hatch days. Your lip is swollen and everything."

Ben shook his head. She could see he was starting to regain his senses. "It doesn't matter. You can't let Jack make that call," he said seriously. In a whisper, he said, "You can take it. Just sneak up behind her, take it, and destroy it."

Brittany nodded. "Alright. Just rest here." She rubbed his shoulder then laid him back down on the ground. Danielle moved then and started tying him up. Brittany snuck into the background and cautiously made her way over to the woman with the phone. She crept up behind her and took the phone from her back pocket. She took a step back when, out of nowhere, the woman punched her backwards. Brittany grunted. The woman spun and punched her again. Brittany managed to block it and gave her a good punch in the eye.

"Hey!" Jack shouted. He seized Brittany and wrestled the phone out of her hand. Before doing so, she gave him a good kick in between the legs. Jack cried out.

"That was for Ben," she growled in his ear.

"Tie her up," he ordered, his voice slightly high-pitched.

Kate took her and pulled her over to Ben. With the extra rope, she tied Brittany in front of him. "Nice try," he smiled at her.

She spat out some blood and grinned. "It was worth it." Then, the smiling couple were yanked forward as they set off for the radio tower.

**Next chapter: We find out how Tamara came to the radio tower, Tamara throws a Christmas party, more flashbacks, and Tamara and Ben get to know each other. Sort of.**


	21. The Parting of the Ways

**We're backing up again. And wait, why is Vincent randomly so important?!**

**Chapter 21: The Parting of the Ways (Tamara's chapter)**

_A Few Days Ago_

Tamara collapsed against a tree, clutching her calf. It was maybe a mile to the others' camp. Not _those _others. Tears and dirt streaked her face. If she could have, she would have done some creative bandaging technique to make her wound hurt less, but she wasn't that creative, so whatever. She leaned her head back against the tree and groaned. Tamara had been running non-stop for a day or so now, and, surprisingly, she hadn't gotten lost yet.

With a sight, Tamara got to her feet. Or, at least, she tried to. Her (at this moment) annoyingly long brown hair was caught on the tree bark. "Damn it," she sighed as she tried to pull her hair loose. It was really stuck on there. After a few vigorous pulls, her hair finally came free, and she stumbled to her feet, rubbing the back of her head.

Tamara continued the trying journey to the beach, pondering what she was going to do once she got there. Kate, being the bitch she is, had probably taken her tent back by now. She supposed she could always room with Desmond. Or Juliet.

Tamara's thoughts were interrupted by a deafening explosion and the sound of a tree crashing on the ground. She froze. Then, eager to see what the commotion was, she rushed forward and found herself face-to-face with the following people: Jack (naturally), Kate (bitch), Juliet (she's nice), Sun (okay, then), Jin (well, if Sun's there…), Charlie (fine), Claire (huh?!), Sawyer (of course), Danielle (that explains the explosion), Hurley (why was he always included?), and Desmond (yay!).

"Tamara?" Jack demanded incredulously.

Tamara gave a little wave, unsure of what to say.

"What happened?" Desmond demanded, going to her.

Tamara looked into his eyes and then turned to Jack. "Ben," she said dramatically.

"Ben did that to you?" Juliet asked.

Tamara nodded. She debated briefly on whether or not to tell them of John, but she re-considered. Jack seemed to have an unexplainable hatred of John Locke. Perhaps it was because Jack was jealous. _He _never got to see George.

"This is the exact reason why I brought you out here," Jack said, taking his "leader" position.

"How'd you know I'd be out here?" Tamara asked, confused.

"No, he's talking about Rousseau blowing up a tree," Claire told her.

Tamara looked at Claire. What was missing about her? Oh. Of course. "Claire, where's your baby?"

"I gave him to Sun to look after," Claire said.

Tamara pointed at Sun. "Then why is sun here?"

"I gave Aaron to Rose to look after," Sun told Claire.

"Well, let's hope Rose doesn't decide to come along," Tamara muttered to herself. Turning her attention back to important matters, Tamara said, "So, why did you need to blow up a tree?"

"My people are coming tomorrow," Juliet said, as if that was a perfect answer.

"So, you're going to…oh!" Tamara said as she realized what they were about to do.

"We're gonna blow 'em all to hell," Jack said dramatically.

* * *

Tamara sat on the "floor" of the tent that Desmond had magically acquired. He was examining her bullet wound.

"So, what happened? You went for a walk and never returned," Desmond said.

"Well, I got bored just sitting here, so I took a walk and ran into Locke, Sayid, and Kate. We ended up at Otherville-,"

"Otherville?" Desmond interjected.

"Yeah. You know, the place where the Others live," Tamara explained.

"It's really called Otherville?" Desmond seemed somewhat surprised and amused.

Tamara thought on it. Actually, nobody had ever told her what the island suburb was called. Shrugging, she told Desmond, "It is now."

"Ah," Desmond contemplated as he wrapped gauze around Tamara's leg. He had obviously stolen Jack's first-aid kit. "Go on," he told her.

"That's all there is to tell, really. I stayed with Brittany until we met Jacob. Ben shot John, and he ended up in a pit full of Dharma corpses. Then, he shot me in the leg. John told me to warn the camp, but I'm not really sure why." She lapsed into a thoughtful silence. Desmond also remained silent. He sat back on his heels and looked towards where Charlie was flirting with Claire, his expression troubled.

Tamara shook herself out of her trance and watched Desmond watch Charlie. "What's wrong?" she asked at last.

Desmond sighed and turned to her. "I suppose it's best that you know," he told her. "Ever since I turned that fail-safe key in the hatch, I've been seeing flashes of things that were gonna happen."

"What, like – the future?" Tamara asked, wrapping her hands around her knees.

Desmond nodded and Tamara's mouth opened slightly in shock. "In these…flashes, I always see Charlie's death."

Tamara glanced over Desmond's shoulder at Charlie. He was still flirting with Claire. "But, Charlie's alive," Tamara stated the obvious. Yeah, she did that a lot.

"Aye," Desmond agreed. "Each time I've seen him die, I've been able to stop it. I saw him get struck by lightning-," Tamara snorted. Such a cartoon way to die. Desmond glared at her, and she forced a frown.

"Sorry," she muttered.

Desmond continued as though she hadn't just laughed in the face of Charlie's impending doom. "I was able to stop it-."

"How did you stop the _weather_?" Tamara demanded, disbelieving.

"It's called a lightning rod, Tamara," Desmond sighed. It was so difficult to explain anything to her, as he was quickly finding out.

"Oh, I knew that," Tamara scoffed.

"Anyway," Desmond continued, "the second time, Charlie drowned. I stopped that, too. The last time, I almost let him die, but I saved him at the last second." His expression got that sad, troubled look again. "I had another one when Jack was showing us the dynamite."

Tamara smiled and rested her hand on Desmond reassuringly. "So, you'll save him again."

"I can't," Desmond whispered. "He's going to die. If he doesn't, then we'll never get rescued."

Tamara looked at Desmond and then glanced at Charlie, accidentally catching his eye. She looked hurriedly away. "Desmond, rescue will never come. We've got no means of contacting the outside world. Well," she amended, "we've got my laptop and cell phone, but my cell battery's almost on empty, and the same goes with my laptop."

"A woman parachuted to the island a couple of days ago. She was carrying a satellite phone," Desmond told her.

"That's wonderful!" Tamara gasped, temporarily forgetting about Charlie's impending death.

"The battery's dead," Desmond said.

"Of course it is," Tamara sighed.

"Sayid can get it working," Desmond reassured her.

"I still don't understand what a satellite phone has to do with Charlie," Tamara said, switching subjects (sort of) at the speed of light.

"I don't either," Desmond admitted, "but if it gets everybody on the island rescued, then I can't save him this time."

Tamara didn't know Charlie all that well, but she agreed with Desmond. She wasn't happy about throwing away the life of a British man. After all, foreign people are cool. "Does Charlie know about your flashes?"

Desmond nodded. "I'll tell him," he said, rising to his feet.

"Help me up; I'll come with you," Tamara said, raising her hands above her head. Desmond took her hands and helped her limp over to Charlie.

"Charlie, can I see you for a mo'?" Desmond asked.

"Absolutely," Charlie said, leaving Claire and her baby and following Tamara and Desmond. "So, you ready to tell me what you saw?"

_How did he know? _Then, Tamara came to the realization that Desmond probably never spoke to Charlie unless he had a flash. Desmond was awfully anti-social.

"Aye," Desmond answered Charlie's question, stopping. "What I saw," he began, "was Claire and her baby getting into helicopter-," _getting into helicopter? _Tamara thought to herself. Then, it dawned on her. _Getting into _a _helicopter. _Desmond continued. "A helicopter that lifts off and leaves this island.

Charlie sure as hell was happy. "A rescue?" he asked breathlessly.

"Aye," Desmond assented. Apparently, "aye" was his favorite expression.

"We're gettin' bloody rescued!" Charlie exclaimed happily. "I thought you were gonna tell me I'm gonna die again!"

Tamara could see the raw truth shining in Desmond's eyes. "You are, Charlie."

Charlie's smile fell of his face really quickly. "If you don't," Desmond continued, "none of it will happen. This time, you have to die."

Charlie, Desmond, and Tamara sat on the beach for no reason. Charlie was staring out at the ocean; Desmond was watching Charlie; Tamara was staring at her hands. After a while of simply sitting, Charlie took out a piece of paper and a black marker. He thoughtfully penned down…something. "What are you writing?" Desmond asked curiously.

Charlie shook his head evasively. "Nothing," he shrugged. Tamara shot Desmond a "don't be so nosy look." "Okay," Charlie sighed. "I'm ready. Tell me how it's gonna happen."

"Are you sure? Maybe it's best to just-," Desmond began.

"I wanna know," Charlie interrupted firmly. Tamara was left to wonder why Charlie was choosing _now _to ask that rather important question.

"You're inside a hatch. There's a blinking yellow light. You enter a code; the light goes off, and you drown," Desmond told him.

Tamara raised her eyebrows. That was so _random! _

Charlie, on the other hand, appeared to think turning off lights and then drowning was a perfectly natural way to die. "You sure you saw Claire get into that helicopter?"

Desmond's answer was predictable. "Aye."

The three of them made their way to where Juliet, Jack, and Sayid were discussing a station called "The Looking Glass."

Jack was questioning Juliet. "If it's underwater, then how does it still work?"

Juliet glared at Jack. "Damn it, Jack. I'm a doctor, not a marine engineer."

"How it still works is irrelevant," Sayid said before laughing slightly. Jack and Juliet also began to laugh. "Sorry," Sayid said. "I was enjoying the joke; I was taking it in."

"Oh, I'm so glad we've got these people to be our leaders," Tamara mumbled.

Jack glared at her, and Sayid continued. "We need to get down there."

"No," Jack said bossily. "I'm not sending you on some suicide mission just so you can flip a switch. I'm trying to get these guys!"

"And I am trying to get us off this island, _Jack_!" Sayid proclaimed.

"_If _that is your real name," Tamara suddenly threw in dramatically.

"I'll do it," Charlie announced, now that Tamara had officially blown their cover.

"No," Jack said sharply.

"It'll be easy- swim down, flip the switch," and here Charlie made a weird popping noise, "swim back up."

"We don't need to worry about this right now. Let's just worry about them." Jack stalked off. Juliet and Sayid followed. Tamara, Charlie, and Desmond all looked at each other. For some reason, Desmond looked _sad _that Charlie couldn't go swimming to his death.

Tamara looked away from her manly companions and peered out at the ocean. Frowning, she blinked. She could have sworn she saw… No. Impossible! Or not. Tamara took off at a run down the beach. A boat was pulling into shore. As the figure in the boat began to run towards her, she recognized him: Alex's brainwashed boyfriend, Karl.

Sayid was all ready to pull some Iraqi Whoopass on Karl, but Tamara got there first. "Sayid, it's okay! Karl, what are you doing here?"

"My people," Karl gasped to the small crowd that had accumulated, "they're coming."

"It's okay, Karl," Tamara tried to soothe him. "We know."

"Then what are you still doing here?!" Karl demanded frantically.

"Because when your people show up here tomorrow, we're gonna be waiting for them," Sawyer said. Where did _he _come from?

"Tomorrow?" Karl asked, confused. "No, they're coming tonight!" He looked around at the shocked faces surrounding him. Then, for dramatic effect, he yelled, "They're coming right now!"

* * *

_Six Hours Ago_

_Alex cut up the rabbit she was making for Karl. Let's hope it didn't have a number. Ben strolled into the camp, his steps choppy. He bypassed Alex and Brittany. "Hey," Alex greeted him. He turned around. Clearly, he was still angry at her for giving Locke her gun. Why did Ben give his sixteen year old daughter a gun? "Where are Locke and Tamara?"_

_Ben pulled out Alex's gun, and for one wild moment, Brittany thought that he was going to shoot Alex. "Here's your gun back," he told his "daughter," handing her the gun._

_"Ben," Brittany said softly, "what did you do?"_

_Ben walked away. Brittany followed him to Richard. "What happened out there?" Richard asked. "Where's Locke?"_

_"Locke had an accident," Ben interrupted sharply._

_"And Tamara?" Brittany demanded._

_"She's returned to the survivor's camp," Ben said shortly._

_"Where's Ryan?" he asked Richard._

_Ryan magically appeared out of nowhere. "I'm here," he said, stating the obvious._

_"How soon can you get a team together?" Ben demanded._

_"Within the hour," Ryan replied._

_"Then get going," Ben said. "Head to their camp."_

_"Moving up the schedule- Juliet may not have had enough time," Richard protested._

_"Then we'll take all their women," Ben interrupted fiercely. Both Brittany and Alex could see that whatever had happened out there, it had shocked Ben._

_"What about the men?" Ryan asked._

_"If any of them are stupid enough to get in your way, kill them," Ben said dramatically. Brittany moved to tell Ben that it was a bad idea to kill the entire camp. Alex knew that it would do no good. Abandoning her rabbit, Alex got to her feet and made for the woods. She ran through the trees, calling Karl's name._

_"It's me," she proclaimed._

_Karl squeezed out of the banyan trees. "Alex? I thought you were bringing rabbit."_

_"You have to go," Alex told him._

_"Did he find out I was here?" Karl asked worriedly._

_Alex shook her head. "No. He's sending Price to their camp. You have to warn them."_

_"Alex-,"_

_"He's gonna _kill_ them, Karl!" Alex exclaimed. "Austen and Ford saved your life. You owe them." She took out her gun and handed it to Karl. "You might need this."_

_"If I get caught, your father will kill me this time."_

_"Is he my father?" Karl and Alex shared a kiss, and Karl dashed off to save the day._

* * *

_Present Time_

"…and that's how it happened," Karl finished his story. Jack paced in front of Karl bitterly. How dare Ben send a team before they were supposed to! And how dare Karl know before he did!

"Is that everything?" he sniffed.

Karl nodded. "Yeah."

Perhaps Karl was wrong? Jack turned to Kate. "You trust him?" Kate shrugged because she's stupid.

Karl was angry. "You don't trust me? What about them?" He pointed to Juliet and Tamara. "She's a spy! She's supposed to mark the tents of the pregnant women with white rocks so she can take them!" He pointed to Juliet. "And she's," he pointed to Tamara, "friends with Ben's lover!"

"They know, Karl," Juliet said.

"But thanks," Tamara added. She glanced at the woman to the right of Juliet. Why was that woman holding two water bottles? Actually, she recalled, she had seen that woman several times before, and all she appeared to do was get water and tie her shoes.

"So, what do we do?" Hurley asked, drawing Tamara's attention away from the water-woman.

"We have to leave now," Sun suggested. "Hide."

"Where?" Bernard asked. "It's their island. If they want to kill us, they'll find us."

"That's the spirit, Bernard," Tamara said.

Jack resumed his pacing. "Sun's gonna go down in a few hours-,"

"That's nice, Jack, but you didn't answer Bernard's question," Tamara pointed out.

Jack glared at her. "Sorry," she muttered.

Jack continued as if she hadn't interrupted. "Do we have enough wire, yet?" he asked Rousseau.

"Not even close," she replied in her non-French accent.

"We got figure a different way of setting the dynamite off," Jack muttered, turning to Sayid.

"We can shoot," Sayid said.

"We don't have enough guns!" Jack whined. "He said that ten of them are coming, armed!"

"Not the Others," Sayid interrupted, "the tents. We can camouflage the dynamite next to the tents, target it from our positions at the tree line."

Jack went on as if it had been his idea. "Juliet marked three tents; that means we need three guns."

Karl pulled Alex's gun out of his pants. "WOAH!" Hurley exclaimed.

"Here, you can have mine too." He handed it to Sayid. Ooh, burn!

"I'll be your third," Danielle told Jack.

"We'll take your gun, but you're not staying here," Jack said bossily. "You're gonna lead everyone to the radio tower. Everyone!"

"Radio tower?" Claire and Tamara asked together.

Jack was pacing again, shaking his finger importantly. "If this doesn't work, we can' risk losing the chance of getting in contact with Naomi's boat, so everything has to happen at the same time." He turned to Charlie, who, for some odd reason had been staring at Desmond's elbow. "Charlie, you still up for a swim?"

Claire gave Charlie a "WTF?" look. "Yeah, I believe I am," Charlie replied.

"I'll go with him," Desmond said. Tamara gave Desmond a "WTF?" look.

Jack nodded. "Let's get to it," and off he walked. Charlie followed Claire from the site like a puppy.

Tamara and Desmond made their way to Desmond's tent. "So, your flashes," Tamara began, "are you in them?"

Desmond shook his head. "Just Charlie," he told her.

Tamara nodded and bit her lip. "Then, why are you going?"

Desmond looked at her seriously. "Because I have to."

"No, you don't," Tamara said. "I'm sure Charlie can manage."

Desmond shook his head. "He'll need someone to be there for him."

"You talkin' from experience?" Tamara sniffed. She was trying to hold back tears.

"No. Just common sense," Desmond said, wiping the lone tear that fell to Tamara's cheek with his thumb.

"Right," Tamara laughed, taking his hand with her own and trying to inflict some humor upon them. "Haven't got much of that."

Desmond smiled grimly. He cupped her chin in his free hand. Slowly, he leaned in and met her lips with her own. At first, Tamara was shocked, but then she melted into the kiss, responding passionately. They pulled apart and rested their foreheads together.

"Come on," Desmond said. He took her hand and led her to the boat where Charlie was waiting. Charlie wrote on his piece of paper. He handed it to Tamara when he was done.

"What's this?" she asked, taking it delicately.

"A list of the five best moments of my sorry excuse for a life," Charlie told her. "Give it to Claire for me."

Tamara nodded. Desmond was making a weight belt to bring Charlie to the bottom of the ocean faster than swimming.

Tamara looked up when Hurley yelled after them. "Hey, dudes, wait up!" He came to a stop in front of them. "I wanna come with you guys- I'm sick of trekkin' and hiding. I wanna help. I'm a really good paddler."

Tamara and Desmond turned away as Charlie and Hurley had their little moment. "Promise me you'll come back in one piece," she told Desmond.

Desmond smiled slightly. "Yes, sir," he smirked. Tamara laughed a bit. She hugged Desmond tightly.

Tamara wiped her eyes and turned to Hurley. "Come along, Hurley. We should get ready to leave." She turned to Desmond and gave him one last smile before leading Hurley to the others.

"I'm gonna get Claire," Hurley told her. "Here," He handed her a leash with a yellow lab attached to the other end, "take Vincent."

Tamara watched Hurley go with an odd expression on her face. A woman whom Tamara knew to be Naomi came to stand beside her. "Were you one of the plane crash survivors?" Naomi asked her. Her accent was British.

"Aye," Tamara said softly before wincing. Desmond was starting to rub off on her. "Oh, wait. No. I'm a crash survivor, but I crashed in a boat," Tamara hastily corrected.

Naomi gave her a really funny look. "A boat?"

Tamara nodded enthusiastically. "So, who are you?"

"I parachuted to this island from a helicopter," Naomi replied. "I'm part of a search and recovery team hired out by Penelope Widmore."

"So, you're looking for Desmond, then?" Tamara asked.

Naomi nodded. "That's right."

Their conversation was cut short as Jack demanded that they leave. Sun and Rose were comforting each other; both of their husbands were staying behind to shoot the tents. Tamara and Vincent were walking by Sawyer, the late arrival.

"So, Tamara. In cahoots with the Others now, are you?" Sawyer said by way of greeting.

Tamara shrugged. "Well, as Karl so blatantly put it, I'm friends with Brittany, and she's Ben's lover. I don't really like Ben, though," she mused. "Tom's a bit pervy; Isabel is just weird; Danny was an ass; Alex is cool, though."

"The Boss's daughter," Sawyer pointed out. "Yeah, I suppose that makes sense for you to be friends with her, Tamara."

"Why are you calling me 'Tamara?'" Tamara demanded.

Sawyer groaned. "I lost a bet; I can't use nicknames for a week."

Tamara smirked. "Must be hard on you."

"You have no idea," Sawyer muttered before falling back to talk to Kate.

It was just Tamara and Vincent. "Who names their dog 'Vincent?'" she mused out loud.

"Michael and Walt," a voice to her right said. It was Hurley.

"Who?" Tamara asked before she remembered. "Ooh! Michael! I never met Walt." Indicating Vincent, she said, "He's their dog?"

Hurley nodded. "Now that they're gone, who takes care of him?" Tamara asked.

"Um, me?" Hurley took a wild guess.

Tamara laughed. "That works; I used to have a dog," she mused.

Hurley nodded again. He probably didn't care. They continued to trek across the island. Tamara had been on the island for several weeks now, and the beauty and vastness of it never ceased to amaze her.

She bypassed Jack and Naomi (they were talking about sat phones) and caught up with Juliet.

"Hey," she panted. She was a little breathless; Vincent had been giving her a workout.

"Hey," Juliet smiled. "I haven't spoken to you in a while."

"Yeah, I know. Being shot, chased, and pulling pranks on Benry leaves little time for the internet," Tamara said apologetically.

"What kind of pranks? Juliet asked curiously.

"Oh, Alex and I painted eights on all his rabbits," Tamara shrugged.

"Why are you guys talking about pranks?" Jack asked, coming up behind them. Juliet smiled almost bashfully and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. Tamara winked at Juliet suggestively, causing her to blush. Tamara, however, didn't get much more time to tease them because Vincent nearly ripped her arm out of her socket as he took off running. Tamara had to race to keep up.

It was dark, and, for some odd reason, Jack had decided to halt the camp on the top of a hill for all eyes to see. The camp watched, intrigued, as two of the prospective explosions took place. There was no third.

"There were supposed to be _three _explosions," Rose pointed out nervously.

"It didn't work," Kate pointed out. With a sigh, Tamara let go of Vincent's leash. He was still struggling to get away, and he plowed right into Kate's legs. She landed with a yell on her backside. Tamara snagged Vincent's leash and shrugged innocently in response to Kate's glower.

"We gotta keep going," Jack stated to the group. "I promised Sayid."

"If we just wait-!" Sun protested.

"No, Sun. Nobody is staying behind," Jack snapped.

"If you say 'live together, die alone,' Jack, I'm gonna punch you in your face," Rose scolded.

Jack smirked. Like Rose would ruin his "manly" face! "Fair enough, Rose."

* * *

For Tamara, the voyage to the radio tower was boring and uneventful. At one point (when they were almost there) Sawyer decided that he wanted to go back to the beach. Jack said no. Kate said no. Sawyer said yes. _Juliet _(randomly) said yes.

"I thought you didn't want to go back," Kate demanded. Her tone was offended and hurt.

"I didn't want to go with you," Sawyer told her abruptly.

"Ooh!" Tamara jeered.

"We don't have any guns," Jack whined.

"I know where there are some guns," Juliet told them.

"Alright, then," Sawyer said. He turned and strode away. He didn't walk; he strode.

Kate walked away. Tamara lingered, unnoticed, and she was caught up in an eavesdropping party.

"Don't do anything stupid," Jack implored.

"I won't if you won't," Juliet smiled. They shared a brief kiss, and Tamara turned, feeling awkward. She saw that Kate had been watching. Her expression was hurt and offended. Tamara was left to draw one conclusion: Kate was a whore.

Tamara was walking with Hurley and telling him just what she thought of the current president when he stopped. "Dude, I'm going to help Sawyer and Juliet. Wanna come?"

Tamara bit her lip. The idea was tempting, but she decided that she didn't want to risk her life to save the lives of people whom she didn't know. "Nah, Hurley. I think I'd like to be present when Jack phones home," she told him somewhat apologetically.

She could tell that Hurley was disappointed. Smiling, Tamara added, "Please be careful out there."

"Later dude," Hurley said before sauntering off.

It was sometime later, and Tamara was walking with Danielle when a voice she recognized and sort of hated rang out.

"Hello, Jack! We need to talk!" Ben was posing on the hill. Brittany and Alex were with him. Brittany skipped forward merrily and high-fived Tamara.

"Hey, you!" Brittany greeted her.

"What's up?" Tamara asked while Jack randomly told Naomi not to talk to Ben.

"The usual," Brittany shrugged before changing the subject. "You missed Ben's birthday party! Why'd you have to go and leave?!"

"I missed Desmond," Tamara lied. "He says 'hi,' by the way." Another lie.

"Alright," Brittany sighed. "I'll let you off the hook this time. Christmas, however, you'd better not run away," she warned. Then, looking around, she added, "So, where is Desmond?"

Tamara knew it wouldn't be right to tell Brittany where Desmond had gone. Ben was still near, and who knew what he might do? "He went with Charlie to some Dharma station. It was kind of depressing. He seemed so sad."

Apparently, Brittany already knew. "That's not good. Ben and I came to stop- whoa, where'd he go?" she interrupted herself, looking for her lover.

"They walked off together," Tamara told her. "I was watching them over your shoulder," which, in fact, she had. "I wonder where they're going?" Tamara teased.

Brittany rolled her eyes at Tamara's dirty mind. She then looked around at the rest of the camp, all of whom were watching the friends with funky looks on their faces. "I don't think they like me."

Tamara shrugged. "Their problem. Besides, you kind of did show up with the man they believe is their enemy."

Obviously, Brittany didn't care what these people thought about her that much because the next thing she said was, "Where's Juliet?"

"She left with Sawyer to rescue our friends or something."

"And John?"

Tamara paused. Did Brittany know? Ah, well. She's gonna know now! "Ben shot John."

Brittany took it in stride. "I had a feeling he did. Well, I've pretty much accepted the fact that I love a murderer."

"Good for you!" Tamara congratulated.

At that moment, Ben returned and Brittany went to him. Tamara was left to amuse herself. One of the people that never said or did anything of importance handed her a banana. Smiling, he walked off.

"I think someone's got a crush on you," Rose's voice said from behind Tamara.

"Who _is _he?" Tamara whispered, giving the banana a really funny look.

Rose shrugged.

Tamara could do all sorts of things. She could draw, write, ride horses, fire a gun (thanks to Desmond), swim, sail a boat, and many other things. Two things, however, she couldn't do. One of those things was whistle. The other (as she soon found out) was peel a banana.

Of course, her struggles were averted when Naomi and Brittany got into a cat fight. Brittany lost. Jack angrily tied her and Ben together. Thankful that she had got that out of her system, Tamara hurried over.

"Hey," Brittany grinned.

"Hi," Tamara gasped. "Hey, Benry," she greeted. She held out her banana to Brittany.

"Where'd you get that?" Brittany asked. She was practically drooling.

"I can't open it," Tamara explained. "Could you-?" She thrust the banana towards Brittany. "Oh, sorry, you can't," Tamara teased. She may not have been able to peel a banana, but at least she could use her hands.

"Karl, could you-? _Why _are you carrying Benry's walking stick?" Tamara interrupted herself.

Karl shrugged. "Could you peel this for me?" Tamara handed him her banana. Karl peeled it with ease and handed it back. Tamara stared at him. "I loosened it," she said defensively.

Brittany snorted, and Tamara turned to her and took a large bite out of her banana, moaning exaggeratedly at its goodness. Brittany glared at her.

At long last, they reached the radio tower. It was really quite random; it just sat in the middle of nowhere. The important people went inside to turn off Rousseau's signal. The important people were: Jack (of course), Kate (of course), Naomi (she had the phone), Danielle (she had the signal), and Alex (for some odd reason). Tamara stayed outside where Ben and Brittany were both tied to a tree. Karl was there, too, still carrying Ben's walking stick.

"You know, Tamara," Ben began. "I ordered Mikhail to kill Charlie. What do you think of that?"

"Charlie knew he was going to die," Tamara confessed. "What do you think of that?" she taunted.

Ben was undaunted. "Mikhail told me he was shooting at Charlie's friend in the boat. Would you happen to know who that would be?"

Tamara didn't answer. Instead, she used her death-glare in hopes that Ben would drop dead. It didn't work.

"It's Desmond, isn't it?" Ben wheedled. "The man you love. Mikhail probably killed him, too."

Tamara had had enough. She took Ben's walking stick from Karl and knocked him on the head. He didn't get knocked unconscious, but he did appear to be a bit dazed.

"Are you finished?" Tamara asked. Ben nodded mutely. Tamara grinned gleefully before doing a dance with Ben's cane. "I just one-upped Ben!" she sang, dancing with a freaked out Karl.

Brittany didn't join in her victory dance for two reasons: one, she was tied to a tree and two, she was worried about Ben. After all, he may have a concussion!

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" she panicked frantically. "Ben? Can you hear me, Ben?"

"That sun's bright," Ben stated lazily. He had just looked into the sun accidentally and now had a green light flashing in his vision.

"Oh my god! Brittany screamed. "Ben! Don't follow the light! Stay away from the light! Tamara!" she addressed her friend. "You killed him!" Brittany was now sobbing hysterically. Tamara, who was still dancing with Karl, paid her no mind. "Is anybody a doctor?!" Brittany screamed. Everyone at the camp gave her a really weird look and slowly moved away. "Ben," Brittany panted, "how many fingers am I holding up?!"

"I don't know!" Ben said grumpily. He couldn't tell because Brittany's hands were tied behind her back.

"Oh no! He's _blind_!" Brittany wailed. "Tamara! You blinded him!"

"Brittany!" Ben roared. "Stop yelling in my ear! Your dulcet tones are deafening!"

"Tamara, he's lost his hearing!" Brittany yelled _even louder _so that Ben could hear her.

"Tamara," Ben moaned, "can't you do something about your friend?"

Tamara paused in her victory dance and whacked Brittany in the head with Ben's cane. This time, her piñata _was _knocked out.

"Hooray~" the entire camp cheered. Tamara bowed. The creepy banana man approached her.

"Hey, Tamara. I'm Waldo," he said shyly, batting his long eyelashes.

He was about to say something else, but at that moment, Naomi rushed out of the radio tower in an attempt to get a signal on the satellite phone. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch Naomi walk around. "I've got a signal!" she cried. Eagerly, she held the phone to her ear. Her breath hitched, and blood spilled out of her mouth. Naomi fell forward, a knife sticking out of her back. John Locke was behind her, still in a throwing position.

"_JOHN_!" Jack roared, effectively waking Brittany.

"Wha' happened?" she moaned.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Jack continued.

"Gee, I don't know," Tamara muttered sarcastically. "It looks like he threw a knife in her back, but I could be mistaken."

John pulled out a gun and pointed it at Jack. "Shoot him!" Tamara, Brittany, and Benry yelled. Rousseau whacked Ben upside the head.

"Oh my god!" Brittany shrieked. "She killed him! _Ben!_" she wailed. As a response to her frantic cries, the rest of the camp wailed, too. Vincent was howling. Tamara whacked Brittany upside the head with Ben's walking stick, effectively knocking her out again.

Waldo approached Tamara and kissed her. "I'm sorry," Tamara lied, gasping for breath. "I'm a lesbian."

"What about Desmond?" Waldo whined. "I've seen you kissing him!"

"Oh…I thought Desmond was a girl," Tamara told him. "His hair is so Pantene perfect!"

"I've noticed," Waldo sighed wistfully. Tamara whacked him on the head with Ben's cane.

Meanwhile, Jack was phoning home. "Minkowski," a voice on the other end said.

"Are you on the boat?" Jack asked before hastily correcting himself. "The freighter?"

"Who is this?" Minkowski demanded. "How did you get this frequency?"

"Naomi parachuted here," Jack told him.

"Naomi? You found her? Is she alright?" Um, about that…

"My name is Jack Shephard. I'm one of the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. Can you get a fix on our location?"

"Hell yeah, we can!" Minkowski replied. "Just sit tight. We'll send Frank Lapidus, Daniel Faraday, C.S Lewis, and a MaelStrom in our chopper N842."

"Okay," Jack replied. Everyone at the camp cheered except for Ben. Tamara mused that if Ben had been Jack, he would have been sobbing hysterically.

* * *

It was sometime later, and they were still at the radio tower for reasons Tamara didn't know. The walkie-talkie crackled to life. It was Hurley. He was asking Jack about rescue. When Jack told him the news, Hurley gave a cheer.

Shortly after that random interlude, Minkowski phoned back. His voice had taken on a dark, stalker-like tone. He was asking for the late Naomi Dorrit.

"Yeah, she, uh, just went for some firewood," Jack told him. "I'll see if I can find her." He turned around to put the late Naomi on the phone, only to discover that the late Naomi had moved. She moved pretty fast for a dead woman.

Jack looked at Ben as though he was hiding her somewhere. Ben gave Jack a look that quite clearly said, "Bite me."

"Where'd she go?" Jack asked Ben, as if it was all his fault.

Ben put on a clueless expression (that fooled no one, mind you) and shrugged. Rousseau and Kate both found separate trails. Jack decided to follow Rousseau's trail. After all, Danielle _had _lived on the island for sixteen years.

Tamara and Ben watched as Kate and Jack hugged their farewells. Kate took the Sat phone out of Jack's pants.

Ben had been watching, and he smirked. "Ba ba boom."

"Oookay then," Tamara stated, rolling her eyes.

"He's coming with us," Jack told Rousseau, who looked at him incredulously.

"Why?" she demanded.

"Because I don't trust him with anybody but me," Jack sniffed.

"What about Brittany?" Tamara asked, nodding to her still unconscious friend.

Jack waved over Waldo and a couple of his creepy friends to drag her along. "You go, too," Jack told Tamara.

"_Jack_," Tamara whined. "I wanna go with you guys!"

Jack shook his head. "No, I don't trust you."

Tamara pouted, and Ben said, a bit _too _loudly, "Thank God!"

Jack heard him and instantly changed his mind. "Never mind, Tamara. You can come."

Tamara beamed. "Thank you, Ben!" she sang before giving him a kiss full on the lips.

Ben spat on the ground quickly. "Blech!" he exclaimed.

* * *

It was the night now, and Tamara was sick and tired of poking Ben in the ribs, which had been her pass time for the last several hours. Now, they were stopped as Rousseau bent over to examine the blood trail.

"So, Benry, tell me," Tamara began, "have you and Brittany…you know?"

The oblivious Ben looked at Tamara cluelessly. "You know what I'm talking about…." Tamara grinned suggestively. This was fun. Ben merely gave her _that _look. "Had _sex?_" Tamara enunciated a bit _too _loudly. Jack and Rousseau looked up in shock. Tamara was pleased to see that, by the light of the torches, Ben had turned a bright red.

"Hi," he muttered.

Rousseau and Jack went back to studiously examining the trail. "Blood trail ends here," Rousseau stated finally.

"You mean she stopped bleeding here?" Jack asked.

"No, I mean it ends," Rousseau stated. "She fooled us, Jack."

Ben said "ba ba boom" at the same time that Tamara pointed at Jack and said with a smile, "You got Punk'd."

"Better call the boat," Ben said, glad to join in on the Jack torture. "Tell them she's getting a really _big _bundle of firewood."

Jack made a grab for the phone, only to find that it was missing. Ben gave another look that said, quite clearly, "Bite Me."

Of course, he didn't _actually _say that. Instead, he said, "I should've told you that I saw her take the phone, but you beat me up, Jack."

"Who took the phone?" Jack demanded.

"Kate did," Ben smirked. "She took it when she was hugging you."

Jack looked hurt and offended. Kate and he really belonged together.

With disappointment, they began to make their way to the cockpit of the plane because the magically knew that the rest of the camp would congregate there.

At last, they reached their destination. Everyone else was there, including John. The first thing Jack did when he saw John was punch him in the face. He pulled a gun out an shoved it to John's throat.

"You're not gonna shoot me, Jack," Locke smirked. Jack pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.

"Loser," a voice near Tamara said. Glancing over, Tamara spotted a grumpy looking Brittany squished between Waldo and his friend.

"Hey," Tamara greeted her. "Who's your friend?" She gestured to Waldo's friend.

"Tamara, meet Wilbur," Brittany said. "Wilbur, meet Tamara. Now, go bug her."

Wilbur wandered over to Tamara obediently and latched onto her arm. "What did I do?" Tamara demanded.

"You know what you did," Brittany scolded.

"Um, no, I don't," Tamara said, raising her eyebrows at Brittany's odd behavior. Before she could reflect on Waldo's pig-like friend Wilbur (his nose was very pig-like), she felt a warm hand take hers. Tamara looked over and saw Desmond staring at her, a sad smile on his face. With difficulty, Tamara wrenched her arm out of Wilbur's grasp and threw her arms around him. "Are you alright?"

Desmond nodded. "Charlie managed to get in contact with the main land. One of Penny's friends answered the call. Just before he died, Charlie let me know that the people on the boat aren't who they say they are."

"So, you mean Ben is right?" Tamara whispered.

"Ben's always right," Brittany scoffed.

Jack's voice erupted from behind them. "You _killed _Naomi!"

"Well, technically, he didn't kill her yet," Ben stated.

"Ba ba boom," Tamara and Brittany said simultaneously.

"Yes, he did," Kate's voice rang out. "She just died." Kate handed the stolen phone back to Jack.

The camp got into an argument about the people on the boat. It was all a garble of voices until Hurley's dulcet tones rang out. "He's dead! Charlie's dead!"A shocked silence ensued. Tamara tightened her grip on Desmond's hand. Claire bowed her head, tears coursing down her cheeks. Hurley continued. "Charlie went down there to help us, to save us. But something happened. He changed his mind. Whatever it was, it must have been bad, because the last thing he did was warn us that these people aren't who they say they are!" For once in his life, Jack was shocked into silence. Hurley wasn't done yet. "So, I'm not listening to you. I'm listening to my _friend_." _That _insulted Jack. Hurley and both made their way to stand by Locke, who was waiting for those that would heed Charlie's warning. Rousseau joined them. Brittany looked at Ben.

"Jack, with your permission, I'd like to go with John," Ben said. Jack nodded grudgingly.

"Ba ba boom," Tamara and Brittany whispered again.

Brittany followed Ben, and Wilbur followed her. Tamara sighed and began to follow them. Desmond pulled her back. "What are you doing?"

Tamara realized at that moment that Desmond intended to stay with Jack. "You were there," she whispered. "I'm not about to get killed by these people. Come with us," she pleaded.

Desmond shook his head sorrowfully. "They had a picture of me and my girlfriend, but it's not Penny's boat. I have to figure out how they got a hold of it."

Tamara took a deep breath. "When you change your mind," she choked out around her tears, "come and find me." She nodded to him and turned towards the others, her new traveling mates. Waldo followed her.

Sawyer was the last to go. Kate stopped him. "What are you doing?"

"Same thing I've always done, Kate. Survivin'." The way he said this one word made him sound Irish.

"We'll be at the Barracks, when you change your mind," Locke announced.

"For those of you that survive," Brittany whispered the unspoken truth.

"Ba ba boom," Ben smiled.

"Shut up," Tamara said grumpily.

* * *

_Ten Years Ago_

_The hat box was round, and there was a picture of a swan on it. It was a Dharma hat box. And it didn't contain a hat. It contained a wig. A blonde one._

_The location was an expensive London flat. It's occupants were two girls in their late teens._

"_See ya later," the shorter of the two said in a faux London accent._

"_Don't let the monks molest you!" the taller girl teased. Her accent was also false. "Don't forget your ID!" she reminded her friend._

_The girl brushed her false blond locks and snatched the identification as she headed out the door._

_Penelope Widmore started her day._

* * *

It was day time. Tamara and Brittany were at the back of the little party of rebels. John wasn't allowing Ben and Brittany to walk near each other.

"So, I have a question," Brittany began. Tamara nodded to indicate that she was listening. "I've seen Desmond several times now, and you talk about him _all _the time, but I've never spoken to him. How come?"

Tamara was rather taken aback. "Um, I don't know. Because you're rude?" she suggested.

"Take that back!" Brittany exclaimed, but she knew Tamara was joking.

"What have you and Ben been doing since I last saw you?" Tamara asked after a while.

"Well," Brittany began, "we threw his surprise party with no help from you, thank you very much-," Tamara rolled her eyes, "then we discovered that the one guy was going down to the Looking Glass-,"

"Not 'the one guy,'" Tamara snapped. "His name was Charlie Pace."

"that name seems familiar," Brittany mused.

"He was the bass guitarist for Drive Shaft," Tamara explained. Brittany gasped. Drive Shaft was their all time favorite rock band. When they had first started out, Brittany had had the biggest crush on Charlie. Tamara had always been partial to Liam, herself.

"I can't believe Charlie's dead!" Brittany gasped. Angrily, she stormed up to the front of the line and slapped Ben.

"Woah!" Hurley exclaimed.

Ben was speechless. He turned to Tamara. She grinned. Ben scowled. He knew Tamara had to be behind this. She was evil like that. "You killed Charlie!" Brittany cried.

"He did what?!" Claire cried. Both she and Hurley moved to attack Ben. Brittany changed her mind about being mad at Ben, and she moved to protect him alongside Locke. Sawyer took any excuse to pummel Ben, so he launched himself into the brawl. Although Alex didn't care all that much for her father, she still felt the need to protect him, so she joined. Danielle and Karl joined in to protect Alex. At Brittany's command, Wilbur joined in to be part of Ben's guard. At Tamara's command, Waldo joined in to beat up Ben. The few survivors that had come along joined whichever side they pleased. Tamara, on the other hand, snatched a papaya out of Hurley's hand (he had been about to launch it at Brittany) and sat cross-legged on the grass. As she watched, she smiled.

"I've successfully started my first riot," she congratulated herself.

* * *

Hours later, they were all seated. The solution to the conflict was to tie Ben to a tree. Brittany had wanted to tie Tamara up as well, but Locke had disagreed. Tamara never did anything destructive. If only he knew.

Ben was trying to get Alex's attention. At last, Alex looked at him. "What?" she asked.

"I need to talk to you," Ben pleaded.

"Shut your mouth, Mr. Linus," Karl threatened.

"_Kaaaarl_," Ben drawled, "if you're going to sleep with my daughter I insist that you call me Ben."

Karl strode forward, his hand on his gun. Sawyer stopped him. "Easy, kid," he soothed, sending Karl and Alex away. Tamara was disappointed; she had wanted another fight.

Ben proceeded to insult Sawyer. Tamara wasn't listening. She was too busy trying to evade Wilbur's wandering eyes. Brittany was training Wilbur in the art of Tamara Torture. Suddenly, Sawyer began to pummel Ben.

"Not again," Brittany sighed. Locke bounded forward and rescued Ben.

"Anyone wanna tell me why we're keeping this bastard alive?" Sawyer demanded.

"We're keeping him alive because we might need him," Locke stated. "We're not killers," he continued.

Brittany, who had been taking a sip of water, choked and started laughing.

"Okay, James, let's kill him, right now. In front of his daughter," Locke said sarcastically.

"Oh, he's using the sympathy card," Brittany told Tamara.

"Fine, you walk him," Sawyer said, handing Ben's leash to Locke.

"I'll walk him!" Brittany volunteered.

"No you won't," Locke snapped.

"Things just aren't going your way, are they?" Tamara asked sympathetically.

"No," Brittany huffed.

* * *

It was several hours later when the travelers heard a loud splash. Making their way to the nearest body of water (which happened to be a lake none of them knew existed), they saw a woman that appeared to be happy to be living. She was laughing and swimming in a circle. The entire group gave her a really funny look, and she finally noticed them.

One might say that her face was red from heat and excitement, but it wasn't; she was embarrassed at being caught in the act of being weird.

"Hi," she gasped. Locke gave her his creepy 'I shall molest you,' grin.

The woman swam to the shore. They made room for her to sit in the center of the circle. "Who are you?" she asked.

"We're survivors from Flight 815," Locke said. Tamara and Brittany were left to wonder if this mysterious woman thought it odd that they had a man tied up as a prisoner.

"I can't believe you guys are live," the woman gasped. She spotted Claire and asked," Is that your baby?"

"Yeah," Claire said, her expression guarded.

"Did you have him on the island?" Claire nodded. "That's amazing. Now," she began a new train of thought, "I've got a transponder, so if we just sit tight, we'll be rescued, okay?"

Nobody answered. The poor woman looked very uncomfortable.

"What do we do?" Claire asked Locke. Apparently, nobody could think for themselves.

"She's coming with us," Locke said.

"No!" the woman protested. "We need to stay here so they can find us!"

"That's your problem. We don't want to be found," Locke said. Ignoring the woman's confusion, he kidnapped her transponder and said, "We need a decoy."

"I volunteer Tamara!" Brittany exclaimed.

"Stop being so bloody mean!" Tamara shouted.

Ben grinned; he had trained Brittany well.

"I was thinking more along the lines of Vincent," Locke said, handing the transponder to Tamara. Yes, she still had a hold of his leash.

Tamara attached the transponder to Vincent's collar and unhooked his leash. "Run and be free!" she exclaimed, earning herself some weird looks.

"Jack's gonna be _so _mad!" Brittany giggled. Tamara nodded gleefully, and Ben's eyes lit up.

As they continued moving towards the Barracks, Tamara turned to Alex. "Alex, what ever happened to your slingshot?" she asked.

"Ben confiscated it," Alex said sadly.

"How rude," Tamara stated mildly. "Why?"

"He found out that we were behind the rabbit scandal," Alex sighed.

"How?" Tamara demanded.

Alex shrugged. "He's my father. He has super secret powers."

"Aah." That explained it.

* * *

Later still, they had halted for no apparent reason, and Locke appeared to be arguing with Wonderwoman. The conversation was put to a dead halt when Ben rudely shot her.

Sawyer roared and went to restrain him. Locke rushed to Wonderwoman's aid. Everybody else just watched.

Wonderwoman let out a gasp. "Vest!" she gasped out.

Locke ripped open her shirt. "Whoa! Hey now!" Brittany exclaimed, jumping to the wrong conclusion.

Ben had a look on his face that quite clearly said, "I'm screwed."

"Are you alright?" Locke asked Wonderwoman.

"I feel like I've got a cinderblock on my chest, but I'll survive," she replied.

"I guess this is the part where I say 'I told you so,'" Sawyer growled. Tamara couldn't help but wonder why Sawyer was so grumpy in the first place.

"James, I stand corrected," Locke stated.

"Do you want to do it, or should I?" Sawyer asked.

"You do realize that they're talking about killing your boyfriend, don't you?" Tamara addressed Brittany conversationally.

"Oh," Brittany said, as if she was realizing for the first time that this could be bad. "That's not very nice."

"It's my mess," Locke was saying. "I'll clean it up."

"Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean," Tamara and Brittany sang together, grinning wickedly.

"John, please," Ben was pathetically begging now. How un-Ben-like.

"No, no!" Alex cried, suddenly caring about her father.

"Danielle, you should escort Alex away from here," Locke suggested.

"No, no!" Alex cried.

"I'm confused. Does she not want us to kill Ben, or does she want to _see _him die?" Wilbur asked.

Tamara looked at him, shocked. "He can talk?" she asked Brittany.

"Apparently," Brittany said, just as surprised as Tamara.

"You don't seem too worried about Ben," Tamara pointed out.

Brittany snorted. "Honestly! Do you think he's really going to kill Ben? It's like he's a main character in a television show- do you really think he'll be killed two episodes in?"

"What makes you think it's two episodes in?" Tamara asked.

"All these new revelations- we're building up for the season finale," Brittany explained, "but we've also recently had some major questions answered, so the season finale was obviously recent."

"Ah." It all made sense now.

"Anyone who doesn't want to see this should leave now," Locke announced.

They all looked around. "No one's leaving," Tamara pointed out.

"John, we should talk about this!" Claire exclaimed.

"Claire, what if one of those bullets had hit you or the baby?" John demanded.

"Even though she was behind Ben!" Brittany grumbled.

"John, listen," Ben stammered. "I have information that you need. I have answers."

Locke paused, his gun to Ben's throat. "What is the monster?"

"What?" Ben asked nervously.

"Because that is _so _pertinent," Brittany grumbled at the injustice of such a stupid question.

"Who says 'pertinent' anymore?" Tamara asked.

"I don't know," Ben said.

"Hold on. I'm confused," Tamara interrupted. "Ben doesn't know what the monster is, or he doesn't know who says the word 'pertinent' anymore?"

"He doesn't know what the monster is," Karl explained.

"Then good bye, Benjamin," Locke was saying. Tamara laughed because he had used Benry's full name. Brittany yawned loudly as Locked cocked the gun.

"Her name is Charlotte Lewis!" Ben explained. "Charlotte Staples Lewis. Born July second, nineteen seventy-nine, Essex, England. Parents David and Jeanette. Eldest of three, all girls. She was raised in Bromsgrove. Did her understudies at Kent. Took her PhD in Cultural Anthropology at Oxford. She's here with two other team members and a pilot. Their names Daniel Faraday, Miles Straume, Frank Lapidus."

There was a shocked silence. Ben continued. "Your instinct was right, John. These people are a threat, and if you shoot me you'll never know how great a threat they were. Because I know what they're doing here. I know what they want."

"What do they want?" Sawyer snarled.

"Me, James. They want me," Ben told him.

"How do you know all this?" John asked.

"Because I have a man on their boat," Ben said.

"If this were a television show," Brittany told Tamara, "and respectable viewer would already know who he is because his name would be in the credits. It would be the worst-kept secret ever."

"Too true," Tamara agreed.

* * *

_Ten Years Ago_

_Tamara was talking to a random monk. "All ten cases are ready to go. Desmond there is just getting the last one."_

"_Thank you," Tamara replied in a flawless British accent, "and my father sent the check in advance." When she spoke of her father, she was actually talking about the real Penelope Widmore's father, Charles Widmore._

"_Please thank him for his generous donation. Always a pleasure to see you." The monk turned away and said a few words to the man called Desmond before disappearing._

"_I think we should be able to fit it all in the back, and if not, we'll put the rest in the front," Tamara said before turning to face Desmond for the first time. "Is that alright?" she asked with a glowing smile._

"_Absolutely," Desmond grinned back. Tamara noticed that he was Scottish. "You better drive safe, miss, this vineyard only makes a limited number of these cases each year."_

"_Is that so?" Tamara asked._

"_Aye, it's 'cause the monks are lazy."_

_Tamara laughed. Not only was Desmond good-looking and Scottish, he was funny, too._

"_It's easier making grape jelly than wine," Desmond elaborated._

_Tamara grinned and was quiet for a while before asking, "And how do you know so much about monks?"_

"_Because I'm an ex-monk," Desmond told her._

"_Really?" Tamara asked, genuinely surprised. Desmond did not look like a monk._

"_As of last night," Desmond continued. "I was fired."_

_Tamara laughed again. He must have been horrible to be fired from a monastery._

"_It wasn't that funny," Desmond said, mildly offended._

"_I'm sorry," Tamara fought the urge to laugh in his face again. "I didn't know that monks could be fired."_

"_Oh, they can," Desmond said, and Tamara fought the urge to say 'obviously.' "You know I was told in no uncertain terms that the abbey wasn't where I was meant to end up. Just a step along the path. You know, God allegedly has bigger plans for me."_

"_Something tells me you don't entirely believe that."_

"_I suggest that's because I don't."_

"_Well, maybe they're right," Tamara continued, "I mean, just think, if you hadn't gotten fired, we wouldn't have met, and then how could you possibly help me unload these crates in Carlisle?"_

"_Did I say I was coming to Carlisle with you?" Desmond asked._

"_Not yet," Tamara smiled. "I mean, of course, if an ex-monk already has plans, then…"_

"_You know, I don't usually get into cars with strangers," Desmond teased._

"_Well, in that case, I'm Penelope." A pause. "Penny."_

"_Desmond. Very nice to meet you, Penny."_

* * *

Locke was kneeling on the ground in what Tamara and Brittany both remembered as Jacob's front fence. Aaron, being the annoying baby he was, was crying. Well, wailing, more like.

"John, how much longer is it gonna be? I need to feed Aaron," Claire said.

"And none of us really want to see that," Brittany said cheerfully.

John looked at Ben, who looked at John, who looked at Ben, who looked at John. Both turned to Tamara and Brittany.

"What?" the two girls asked simultaneously.

"You offended Jacob," Ben said. Truthfully, he didn't look all that upset about it.

"This is getting ridiculous," Tamara groaned.

"Why do we always get blamed for everything?" Brittany demanded. "Actually," she mused, "I never get blamed for anything when Tamara's not here." Tamara paled and hid behind Waldo. Brittany grinned evilly and rested her hand on Wilbur's shoulder. "Wilbur," she instructed, "attack!"

Wilbur let loose a fierce war cry and charged at Tamara and Waldo. Tamara squeaked and ran for the Barracks. Waldo was close behind her.

As Tamara disappeared, her voice floated back to the camp. "I'll get you for this, Brittany!"

"Now what?" Claire asked.

"We follow them," Locke shrugged.

"Attack Tamara!" Brittany cried as she led the camp against her best friend. The camp, too, let out fierce war cries.

Tamara could hear them and let out another wail. "Why does everybody hate me so much?"

Unfortunately, the chase couldn't last them forever. Tamara smacked right into the barrier signaling the presence of a deadly sonic fence. She stopped as Waldo came up beside her, wheezing. Tamara crossed her arms and pouted, glaring at the fence.

Waldo collapsed on the ground, wheezing pathetically. "I need…my…inhaler," he gasped out.

Tamara sighed. "Great," she grumbled, "just great. My only ally has asthma."

The war cries of the camp came within hearing shot. Brittany was in the lead. Ben came last, hobbling around as best as he could.

"We have a hostage!" Brittany exclaimed, brandishing Ben. She was holding a gun to his head. "Surrender, or I'll shoot!"

Tamara sat on the ground and continued to put.

"Brittany!" Ben snapped.

"Sorry," Brittany muttered. She led Ben to the pylons, and he entered a code. The fence powered down, and the now-sane camp proceeded on their way to the Barracks. "Since Juliet is no longer with us," Brittany began, "I think that Tamara and I should live there."

Ignoring Ben's slightly miffed look at the knowledge that he would no longer have Brittany to himself, Tamara jumped in the air excitedly. "Splendid! It'll be just like old times!"

* * *

Tamara and Brittany burst through the door to Juliet's old home. Tamara flopped on the couch and turned the television on. Brittany went exploring, and she soon returned excitedly. "Juliet had _two _phones!" she exclaimed. "Here!" She pointed out an old-fashioned looking phone. Tamara picked it up and put her ear to it.

Hurley's voice rang out. "…and so, I was all 'the numbers came from Australia!' and here I am."

"Wow, Hurley," Claire's voice answered.

"What about you, Claire? Why were you in Australia?" Hurley asked.

"Um, I was _born _in Australia."

Tamara hung up. "The Others have a party line!" she shouted.

"Seriously?" Brittany demanded. Tamara nodded.

"Go get the other phone- we're gonna eavesdrop!" Tamara laughed. Brittany grinned and disappeared into Juliet's room.

Both girls picked up the receiver and listened eagerly. Claire and Hurley had hung up, but two others were talking. Both were men. One was Locke. The other was some guy they didn't know.

"What do you know about Charlie?" the strange man asked.

"Charlie was trying to find his way, just like you," Locke replied.

"What do you know about the Others?" Gosh, this man was inquisitive.

"We're not the only people on this island," Locke said.

There was a long moment of silence. Both Tamara and Brittany were about to hang up when the strange man spoke up. "You were in a wheelchair."

Um, what?!

"I don't know what you're talking about," Locke said after a pause.

"Rico's Pawn Shop; I saw you- get me the battery, or I'll tell your secret."

"Fine," Locke grumbled. Tamara and Brittany hung up. Brittany entered the living room, and they stared at each other in shock.

How could John be in a wheelchair? It was another mystery of the strange island revealed. That wasn't what mattered, though. Identical evil grins grew on the women's faces, and they cried simultaneously, "Blackmail!"

* * *

Tamara had decided that she and Brittany needed to be neighborly. After discovering that it was almost Christmas, they had felt the need to host a Christmas party on Christmas Eve. So, now, Tamara was following the clichéd tradition of asking a neighbor for a cup of flour.

The perfect neighbor to ask: Sawyer. She walked in without knocking (they never knocked in _I Love Lucy_), and called for Sawyer and his roommate, Hurley. Receiving no answer, Tamara made her way to Sawyer's bedroom and walked in.

"Hey, Sawyer, I was wondering if I could borrow- oh, god! Don't you two ever quit?"

For, indeed, Kate and Sawyer were in bed together…again. "Flour's in the cupboard sweetheart," Sawyer grinned.

"Right," Tamara muttered, eyes wide. "Roses are red, Benjamin's are blue. Kate's a whore, but we love you!" Grinning, she kissed Sawyer's cheek and darted away, ignoring Kate's shouts as she retrieved the flour.

* * *

_Eight Years Ago_

_Tamara had moved. She no longer lived at Desmond's old flat. Brittany was working late. They needed money to pay for their trip to Italy. Their trip around the world was taking much longer than they had anticipated. That's what happens when you assume the identity of a friend who's out of the country and then fall in love with a random Scottish man._

_The phone rang, and Tamara moved to answer it. "Hello?"_

"_Penny?" a familiar, desperate voice came from the other end. Tamara sighed. Great._

"_What do you want, Desmond?"_

_Desmond started speaking very quickly, as though he was in a great hurry. "Penny, listen. I'm in trouble, and I think something's happening to me, and I'm confused, and I need to see you."_

_Tamara raised her eyebrow. She hadn't known it was possible to say all of that in a single sentence. "You broke up with me, and then you joined the army!" Seriously, who did that? "And now you call me with the expectation that I still care about you? Yeah, I think you are confused, Desmond."_

_Desmond spoke again, in that same hurried tone. "No, no. I'm not." Now, Tamara was confused. "Look, I've got two days leave starting tonight. Can I…can I come and see you?"_

_Men. All the same. All thick. "No. No, and don't go showing up at the flat either, 'cause I've moved."_

"_Moved? Where?"_

_Tamara scoffed. Like she would tell him. "That doesn't matter. Look, Desmond, I'm going to go. Please, just don't call me again."_

"_Look, look, now listen, Penny, Penny, I need-," Desmond's voice went silent, and Tamara hung up._

_Not three days later, there came a frantic knocking at the door. Tamara went to answer it because Brittany was once again, working late. She was met with Desmond's frantic face. "Desmond? What are you doing here?"_

"_I had to, I mean, I tried to call you, but you disconnected your phone."_

"_Yeah, because I moved," Tamara replied. "Look, I don't know if you're getting the signals, Desmond, but I'm trying to make a clean break from you, so if you don't mind…." She tried to shut the door in hi sface, but Desmond was rather persistent._

"_Wait a minute, Pen, please wait. I just need to get your mobile number, okay?"_

"_Why would I give you that?" Tamara asked._

"_Because I made a huge mistake. I never should have broken up with you, and, and I know that now, and I'm sorry, and-,"_

"_Don't, just don't-," Tamara interrupted._

"_-and I understand," Desmond interrupted right back. "And I know it's- it's too late to change things, but if I need to tell you something, and I need you to listen to me, and I know it's going to sound ridiculous, but please, Pen, I need you to listen to me," Desmond finished with a plea._

_Tamara let him inside. "Just, say what you need to say and go."_

_Desmond was speaking hurriedly. "I know this doesn't make any sense because it doesn't make sense to me, but…eight years from now, I need to call you, and I can't call you if I don't have your mobile number."_

"_What?"_

"_Look, Penny, just give me your number. I know I've ruined things, and I know you think things are over between us, but they're not. If there's any part of you that still believes in us, just give me your number."_

"_And what's to say you won't call me tonight or tomorrow?"_

"_I won't call for eight years. December 24, 2004. Christmas Eve. I promise. Please, Pen."_

"_If I give you the number, will you leave?"_

"_Aye." Tamara gave Desmond the number and pushed him out. The next day, Tamara and Brittany left England. Tamara did her best to forget Desmond, but she never got a new cell phone._

* * *

They were at the Christmas party when Tamara's phone rang. She went to her room to answer it. "Hello?"

"Penny?" That's all it took for her to remember the British adventure.

"Desmond?" she asked gleefully.

"Penny…Penny, you answered. You answered, Tamara," Desmond said.

"Des, where are you?"

"I'm, I'm on a boat. Oh, my God, is that really you?"

"Yeah. Yes, it's me."

"You believe me? You still care about me?"

Tamara nodded even though she knew he couldn't see her. "Of course I do."

"I love you, Tamara. I've always loved you. I'm so sorry. I love you."

"I love you, too," Tamara replied, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

After a few more affirmations of love and many promises to find one another again, the connection was lost. Tamara collapsed on the bed and giggled gleefully.

* * *

The party was almost over, and Ben and Brittany were spending a few minutes together in Brittany's room. Ben had to go to his prison shortly. "You know," Ben began awkwardly.

"Yeah?" Brittany urged.

"I've always loved-,"

_Oh my god, he's gonna say it! _Brittany thought, deliriously happy.

Ben cleared his throat. "I've always loved…this room." He hurried away.

Brittany stared at the door, very much put out. She sat on her bed.

"Fuck."

**Zomg! Foul language in a T and B adventure?! The horror! That scene is actually based on the film **_**Mansfield Park **_**with Billie Piper. There was no F bomb in the movie though. I just thought it was hysterical. **

**The poem I recite to Sawyer and Kate is a poem Brittany and I wrote ages ago.**

**The…uh…flashback part…wasn't my fault. I wrote it shortly after The Constant because Brittany was like, "Do the Constant!" So I did. **

**Here's how I see things: Tamara and Brittany were on the run, and had connections, somehow, to the Widmores, and they promised to protect them, so they simulated themselves into British society, and never continued with their trip around the world because of Tamara's affair. Brittany wasn't happy with that, but she adjusted. Then, when Tamara and Desmond broke up, they hung around while they enjoyed safety. Presumably, they got caught, and had to leave after Desmond had his little Time Travel adventure. Tamara pushed it to the back of her mind because humans have a tendency to suppress unpleasant events, and the break up with Desmond was violent. Not in a physical sense, but it really tore at her, even though he was just a fling…it was a two year long fling. As for the cell phone…YES! Cell phones were available in the '90s. You can change your cell phone without changing your number. I've done it before. And, anyway, as I've said before, Tamara's phone is a superphone. And that's because my phone is a superphone in real life. Seriously, you can get service anywhere. **

**This has to be said, because I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea: I wrote this **_**before **_**Obama became president. The "current president" I'm talking about at the beginning of the chapter to Hurley is Bush.**

**Next chapter: Brittany's chapter. The Shape of Things to Come up until the season four finale. We kill off at least two characters…one a canon kill; the other, well, we never see him anyway!**

**No clue when it'll be posted, seeing as how, the reason this one is late is because I've recently been swamped by homework. Gotta go write a children's book for Creative Writing now!**


	22. Bendiana Jones

**This is probably the longest chapter of the story. You have been warned. Brittany wrote the majority of it last summer, so she had time. **

**Also, Brittany didn't write a chapter title, so I made one up. She's probably the only one that will get the joke, though.**

**Also-also: I JUST SAW STAR TREK! SO I'M DEAD OF HAPPINESS! AND EXCITEMENT!**

**Chapter 22: Bendiana Jones (Brittany's chapter)**

The party ended close to midnight. Claire had already left due to Aaron needing his sleep. It ended with a meeting to discuss what they were going to do. Even Miles was invited to that. With everyone in the same room, it grew quite awkward. Well, to everyone except Tamara and Brittany, anyway. Sawyer kept glaring at Ben, who was giving everyone an 'in your face, bitches' look. Hurley was avoiding everyone's eyes, as was Claire, who hadn't left yet.

The awkward silence wore on, until Brittany and Tamara glanced at one another. They burst out laughing and said that the same time, "Awkward!" This broke the silence. John decided to lead the discussion.

"I wanted to apologize for the secrets and lack of plan on my part. That's why I asked you all here. I don't want any more secrets. I wanted Miles here to explain why his people are here," John said, giving Miles a nudge.

Miles glanced down then nodded to Ben. "We're here for him."

Everyone turned to Ben, who had a look of disgust on his face. Hurley summed up everyone's feeling s by saying, "We knew that like, forever ago."

Sawyer cut in then. "Great. When do we turn him over?"

John shook his head. "We can't do that, James."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because as soon as they have me, their orders are to kill everyone else on this island," Ben answered, giving Sawyer a smug look.

They then talked about Michael and how he was Ben's spy on the freighter and about a vast number of things that didn't really matter. The meeting broke up and John and Sawyer took Miles back to his cell-house. Brittany crouched next to Ben, who was still sitting, and noticed that he was staring at Karl's hand on Alex's waist.

"Ben?" Brittany called. "Why are you being weird and staring at Karl's hand?"

Ben almost ignored her at first. "Pregnant, dead, Karl, imbecile," she heard him growl.

"Er, okay." She patted his hand. Alex, Karl, and Danielle moved to leave. Ben shot up.

"Alex," he called.

"I think we've heard enough from you tonight," Danielle said, magically appearing beside him.

"I'm sorry, you're just going to have to listen to a little more," he said quietly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "This is a map to the Temple. It's a sanctuary. The rest of our people are already there."

"How come we didn't know about this before?" Karl asked.

Ben gave him a look of annoyance. "Because it would be a sanctuary if I told everyone about it, now would it?" Karl was silenced. Ben finally convinced them to leave. He turned to Brittany then. She could already see the pain in his eyes. She was surprised by this.

"What's up, Ben?" she asked, looking at him curiously.

Ben looked down for a moment, then looked back up at her. "I want you to leave with them," he said quietly.

Brittany's eyes widened. "Why?"

"Because if they realized who you were, what you meant to me, then they would take you and use you against me," Ben told her simply. "And I can't allow that to happen."

Brittany didn't say anything for awhile. She bit her lip and shook her head. "Too bad. I'm staying."

"Brittany-," Ben pressed.

"No, I don't want to hear it. I might die. Oh well! I'm going to die eventually! I might as well die in an awesome way," she shrugged.

"Being shot and possibly tortured is an awesome way?" Ben quirked an eyebrow at her.

Brittany smirked. "It would make for an exciting chapter in my biography."

Tamara jumped in then. "What?! You're writing a biography? Mine will be better than yours!"

Brittany spun on her. "Uh-uh. Mine will be! In _my _biography, I'll be in love with an unexpressive man who's really good at manipulation and making snarky remarks. How more romantic can it get?!" she cried.

Ben's mouth dropped open. Tamara shook her head. "Na-uh! It's going to be stupid because he's going to be bald soon!" Ben, who didn't see what balding had to do with anything, gave her an affronted look.

Brittany grit her teeth. "No, he won't. Look! His hair is perfectly spiked and full. At least he isn't growing a carpet on his face like a certain Scottish man you're associated with."

Tamara's mouth dropped open, too. She wagged her finger at Brittany. "Oh, no you didn't!"

Brittany smirked. "Oh, yes I did."

Hurley and Ben glanced at one another. Fearing for his safety, Ben removed himself from his place in between the girls and joined Hurley's side.

Tamara clenched her fist. "My Desmond has a Scottish accent!"

Brittany glanced at Ben, who spoke for himself. "I can speak Arabian!"

"You can?"

"Desmond can pose!" Tamara spat back.

"I can ride horses," Ben replied.

"You can?" Brittany ogled him.

"Desmond can tie his shoes!"

"I can put the beat-down on any person with my collapsible baton." Ben gave a smug look.

"You can?!" Brittany's eyes grew even wider.

"Desmond is awesome!" Tamara stuck out her tongue.

"And I'm a geeky nerd," Ben smirked. "And proud of it!"

Brittany gave a triumphant smile and threw her arms around Ben's neck, giving him a fierce kiss, to which Ben's eyes grew wider in surprise. Hurley gave a noise of disgust and walked out of the room, shortly followed by an equally disgusted Tamara.

When they parted, Ben exhaled slowly. Brittany grinned up at him. Her excitement grew when it looked like he was struggling to say something. "I…" he began.

"Yes?" Brittany urged in an excited tone.

"…need to play the piano," he ended lamely and left her standing there.

She stomped her foot in frustration and left the living room. She found Tamara and Hurley in Ben's bedroom. "What are you guys doing in here?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing!" Tamara said quickly.

"We weren't going through Ben's underwear," Hurley said in an unconvincing voice.

"Guys!" Brittany groaned. She snatched the underwear from Hurley's hands behind his back and she stuffed them back into his drawer. Her eyes fell upon that of a saw. "What the-?" She picked it up and held it aloft. "Why is there a _saw _in here?"

Tamara shrugged. "Beats me. He always did look like that guy from _Saw _to me."

Brittany gave the saw a look of confusion and put it back in the drawer. "Whatever. I guess people hide strange things in their underwear drawers."

"…we don't," Tamara observed.

"You're right. We hide them in the sock drawer," Brittany grinned.

Hurley, who was becoming increasingly worried in their presence, slowly edged out of the room. "Later dudes!" he called as he left.

Tamara followed after him along with Brittany. Everyone had left by then, except for Tamara and Brittany. "I'm bored," Brittany sighed and made her way to Ben's bookcase. Finding _The Count of Monte Cristo_, she picked it up and sat on the couch and started to read. Tamara was going through Ben's things. She found his glasses and put them on. Brittany glanced up and let out a loud laugh. "Don't you look sexy?"

Tamara smirked. "I wish Benry still had that marker scar on his head. He was a perfect Harry Potter."

Brittany snorted. "Don't look at me. Last time I did that, I had to sleep on the floor." She rubbed her back. "I'd rather not repeat that experience."

"I'm glad you learned from your mistake," Ben said from the doorway. He looked at Tamara. "Those are mine." He nodded to the glasses on her face.

"You can have them. I can't see anything." Tamara walked over to who she supposed was Ben, but she ran into the corner of the wall instead. "Ow!" She whipped the glasses off of her face and held them out to him. "Take them, they don't like me."

Brittany closed the book and looked up at him curiously. He seemed fiercely determined. His jaw was set, and his eyes were blazing with focused attention. "Be-?" she began to ask.

"You need to leave," he said, his voice slightly cold. "Now."

Brittany was taken aback. "But-,"

"Now!" he pressed.

"Alright," she said uncertainly and stood up. Tamara looked confused as well at Ben's sudden strange behavior. She followed Brittany out of the house and they walked to the shack where Miles was being kept. "I wonder what's eating Ben," Brittany sighed as she opened the door.

"Beats me," Tamara replied. "Hello, Miles!" she greeted happily.

Miles, who had been starting to fall asleep, looked up at them. "What do you want?" Going to stick a nuclear bomb in my mouth this time?"

"What?!" Brittany exclaimed, giving him a weird look.

"Didn't you know that John put a grenade in my mouth?" Miles asked them.

"No!" Tamara cried, her eyes shining in awe.

Brittany looked skeptical. "Where did John get a grenade?" she pondered aloud.

"It doesn't matter. Why are you here anyway?" Miles shot at them.

Tamara shrugged. "We didn't have anything else to do."

Miles looked at Brittany suspiciously. "You're that one girl."

Brittany blinked. "Yes, I am a girl, Miles."

"No. The one he likes," Miles said in an annoyed tone. "Benjamin Linus's little love interest."

"I'm not little," she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest." And he hasn't told me his feelings yet."

Tamara gave an evil smile. "Ha ha!"

"Shut up," Brittany snapped and pouted some more.

"You're a strange one to want to date him." Miles shook his head. "But I, on the other hand, can give you the love you need." Miles winked at her.

"Er, no, thank you," Brittany slowly edged out of the room.

She walked out of the shack with Tamara behind her to the gazebo. Sighing, she sat down and looked out at the Barracks. "First time we've been in a battle," she began.

"It's bound to be thrilling," Tamara replied and sat down beside her. "It's not every day that we get to fight evil forces on a magical island."

Brittany gave a small smile. "The things we get ourselves into."

"Sounds like an everyday thing to me," Tamara grinned.

Brittany laughed. You got that right!" The watched in amusement as Karl rode by on a bicycle. For a moment, Brittany swore that she saw a spiked hair head suddenly duck behind a tree. Suddenly, Karl rode over a hidden pothole and crashed. He was thrown over the handlebars onto the ground. Alex, who had been watching him try to impress her, gasped and ran to his side. Brittany and Tamara burst out laughing.

"Poor thing. Amazing how that pothole seemed to appear out of nowhere," Ben's voice said sarcastically from behind Brittany. She jumped and looked over her shoulder. Ben was leaning against the railing, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Ben, you didn't!" she hissed.

Ben shrugged. "It will always be a mystery." He hid the garden shovel behind his back.

"What was with the sudden order back there?" Brittany snapped, referring to the event in his house.

Ben retained his charming smile. "I had to get you out of the house. My apologies if I sounded cruel." He walked around the railing and entered the gazebo. "Dinner is served," he smiled and held out his hand to her in a gentlemanly fashion.

Tamara jumped up. "Great! I'm starving!"

Ben's head whipped up. "Not for you! You stay away from my house."

Tamara pouted. "Man!" Although she hated to admit it, she had grown to find Ben's cooking delectable. She jumped over the railing and helped a bleeding Karl and worried Alex into their house.

Brittany looked back at Ben and took his hand. "You could have just told me you wanted to make dinner for me. I would have left."

"Ah, but that would ruin the surprise," Ben told her. He pulled her up, and they walked to his house.

Once inside, Ben helped her into her chair and served the food. "Yays! Roasted chicken!" She smiled brightly.

"I know that you enjoy chicken very much," Ben smiled, pleased with her reaction.

"How do you know that?" Brittany questioned.

Ben leaned in and smiled wickedly. "I just know."

"Oookay," Brittany squeaked. They ate comfortably with one another, joking and teasing playfully.

Tamara, meanwhile, was lurking outside the window. She watched them in anticipation. She knew what was going to happen. Smiling fully, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw the blinding bald head of John Locke behind her. "What do you want, John?" she whispered.

"Come on, you're coming with me," John said, taking her by the arm and pulling her behind him.

"W-what? What did I do?" Tamara asked in confusion.

"Don't play dumb. Ben told me that you were sneaking information to the people on the freighter with that fancy cell phone of yours," John growled. "I'm surprised at you, Tamara. I wouldn't have expected you to betray everyone like that. In you go." He pushed her into the rec room. "You'll stay here until I can figure out what to do with you."

"But, John! Ben's lying!" she protested. Unfortunately (for her), it was too late. John had already closed and locked the door. It was then that Tamara realized that Ben had known all along that she would be snooping on them. "Ben," she growled. However, Tamara took solace in the fact that a big prank laid in store for Brittany and Ben.

Back at Chateau de Linus, the couple had finished dinner and moved on to dessert. Each other. Neither was certain who had moved first, but as soon as their forks hit the plate, they were in a ferocious battle of dominance over each other's mouths.

Her arms were wrapped around his neck; his were gently holding her above the ribs. Brittany was slightly surprised by how skilled of a kisser he was. She didn't think he would have had very much practice. It didn't seem like any of the other women on this island found him remotely attractive at all. Losers.

His kisses were full of unrestrained yearning and need. Brittany found that as time went on, his lips became more demanding. She, herself, was becoming more aroused by the moment. He was an intense, artful lover. Each time he clashed his lips on hers, he wouldn't release her lips until she was practically struggling for air. It was quite obvious that Ben didn't take these sort of affections for granted.

He suddenly became quite dominant. Ben grabbed her by the waist and pulled her tight against him. She let out a small yelp of surprise, to which she heard him give a throaty chuckle. Her hands rested on his chest, and she pushed him backwards toward his room.

Ben pulled back and gave her a curious look. "Are you sure?" he asked.

In reply, she bit down gently on his earlobe. She heard him give a small sigh of approval. He didn't need any more urging. Pulling on her now, Ben led her to his room. As they entered his room, he shut the door and locked it.

Their lips were locked in a frenzied battle. Her hands moved to his shirt where she started undoing his buttons. His hands rested on the bottom of her shirt, unsure. Ben took one of her legs and wrapped it around his waist. She looked up at him in anticipation. Ben grinned and they fell onto the bed. _SNAP! _The bed collapsed underneath them onto the floor. They broke apart abruptly. "What the-?" Brittany looked down.

Someone had sawed a part of the bed post off, so they could collapse under even the slightest weight. The mood had been broken. They sat there, breathless, anger coursing through both of them. Blaring out the window, they said together, "Tamara!"

Tamara sat on the pool table, watching the balls collecting dust. Her head snapped up when she heard the door open. To her surprise, Brittany stood there. Brittany motioned for her to come out.

Taking the chance to be free, Tamara leapt off the table and walked out. She saw Brittany with Ben, who was giving her a cold look, to the right of the door. Tamara looked him over. His hair was messed more than usual, and she saw that most of the buttons on the top of his shirt were undone. She looked at Brittany. She, too, was a little frazzled looking. "What's up?" she asked innocently.

"Oh, I think you know very well what is up," Ben growled. He was quite at odds with her. She had completely ruined his romantic evening plans.

Tamara smirked. "Oh, you guys were getting it on!" This sentence silenced Ben and made him avoid everyone's eyes.

"Well, we were about to when out of nowhere, our love vessel broke underneath us!" Brittany cried.

"Well, why are you looking at me? I didn't have anything to do with it," Tamara lied unconvincingly.

Ben spoke then. "Please. Spare us the act. We know very well that you used the saw in my drawers to cut the bed's legs."

Tamara bit her lip. "Maaaaaybe I did."

Brittany grit her teeth. "Get her, Wilbur."

Wilbur, who had been hiding in the corner, lashed out at Tamara, who yelped. "Not you again!" she cried.

Tamara turned and fled, Wilbur hot on her heels. Brittany crossed her arms over her chest and turned to Ben. "Well, that takes care of that."

Ben smirked. "I think it's time we all went to sleep." Brittany took his hand in agreement, and they both walked back to his house.

The next morning, Brittany awoke nestled in Ben's arms. She smiled; however, when she tried to move, she found that she couldn't. _Damn his possessive holding, _she thought. So, Brittany was forced to lay there until he woke up.

She waited a good few more minutes until she heard his breathing pattern change slightly. "About time," she yawned.

"I don't normally sleep this long," he replied. Brittany noticed that his voice wasn't groggy sounding. He was awake and alert in an instant.

"You're a comfortable pillow," she smiled, finally able to lift her head off his chest and sit up. She turned and looked down at him.

"I'm glad I could be of assistance," Ben smiled back.

"But you hog the sheets," Brittany told him.

"Do I? Oh, I'm sor-,"

"And the bed."

"I do apolo-,"

"And you snore."

"Well, I-,"

"And drool."

"Alright! Enough!" Ben cried in exasperation.

Brittany grinned and kissed him on the top of the head. "But I love you anyway."

Ben simply laid there, not meeting her eyes. "Time for breakfast!" She ignored his awkward feelings and rolled out of bed. It was rather easy since the bed was angled slightly downwards. They had attempted to fix it last night, but they had failed miserably. So, they put books underneath the sawed legs and called it good. Not if felt like they were on a flat slide.

"And what's for breakfast?" Ben asked, still in bed.

"Pancakes!" Brittany exclaimed.

"Again?" Ben whined.

"Hey! You better get used to them," she warned. "Come on, sleepy head."

Ben groaned. "I don't want to get up."

"Too bad!" She grinned and pulled on his arm. After much urging, she got him out of bed and into the kitchen.

"Sit," she ordered, pushing him down into a chair. Brittany spun on her heel and started cooking up pancakes. "So, I was thinking," she began, "at our wedding, Mikhail should be in charge of the decorations."

Ben nearly fell out of his chair. "W-wedding?!" he exclaimed, his voice squeaking.

Brittany retained a straight face. "Duh! You're not getting rid of _me_. Sorry."

Ben decided to think about this new revelation later. "Mikhail is dead," he said bluntly.

Brittany's mouth dropped open. "He's dead?" she wailed. "But he was my favorite lackey! He was Russian! A Communist! I never got to see his eye socket," she sobbed. "Why do the Russians die before I can pester them?!" she cried.

Ben was quite alarmed by her outbursts. "Yes…he died trying to stop Charlie from making contact with the outside world. Unfortunately, he died in vain."

"Does Tamara know?" Brittany asked, her eyes shining in tears.

Ben looked puzzled. "I don't think so."

Brittany waved him off. "That's fine. You don't have to volunteer, Ben. I'll break the news to her," she said sadly.

"Al…right," Ben said slowly. "I'm going…out," he said and hesitantly headed for the front door.

"Go ahead! Mourn your loss. We're all suffering. We have all just had a terrible blow." Brittany choked down another sob. Ben gave a nod and quickly left.

Brittany dried her eyes and looked down at her pancakes. She realized they were starting to burn. Completely forgetting Mikhail for the moment, she yelped and returned to cooking the pancakes.

Ben, meanwhile, was walking down the path to a house which he knew to be empty. He needed a quiet place to think. Just then, a mango hit him square in the back of the head. He grunted in pain and looked up. Tamara was up the tree with a smirk on her lips. "What are you doing up there?" he asked her.

Tamara pointed below her. Wilbur was sitting, back against the tree, glaring up at her. Ben smirked. "Have you been up there all night?" he asked.

"And all morning," Tamara snapped. "Curse you and your loyalty!" she yelled down at Wilbur.

"Well, I wish you luck on your journey down that tree," Ben smiled and took a step away.

"Wait! Ben! Help me out here! Please?" Tamara asked.

Ben stopped and turned back to her. "Why should I? You ruined my chance to finally show and tell Brittany how I feel. If you hadn't noticed, I'm not a very forthcoming man," Ben snapped.

Tamara's eyebrows raised. "You really love her?"

Ben didn't say anything. "Man, you have major issues. Just bloody tell her. She can only wait so long." Still, Ben didn't say anything. Tamara rolled her eyes. "Look, obviously, even though I don't want to admit it, you love her, since you're so hesitant in revealing your feelings for her. I'm sure you're afraid of rejection due to many rejections in your past." At this, Ben glared up at her. Tamara quickly continued, "but I know Brittany, and I know that she cares for you very much. What I'm trying to say is that you've got nothing to lose." Tamara grinned then. "Except your sanity. She'll drive you insane, Brittany will."

Ben smiled softly. "She already has."

Tamara's grin faded. "Ew."

Ben looked up at her once more. He walked to the tree and said to Wilbur, "You can leave now. Brittany will call if we need your service." Wilbur gave a nod and ran off.

Tamara climbed down the tree, a little surprised that Ben had actually helped her. "Thanks, Ben." She reached the ground and looked over at him. "Does this mean we have to be friends now?"

Ben chuckled. "Certainly not."

Tamara let out a breath of relief. "Good, because I still hate you."

Ben smiled. "I rather dislike you myself."

"Enemies?" Tamara held out her hand.

"Enemies," Ben nodded, shaking her hand. "Brittany's making pancakes, if you want any."

"Sweet! Bye Benry!" Tamara chirped and ran off. Ben turned on his heel and walked in the opposite direction.

"Pancakes!" Tamara cried as she entered Ben's home. "Hey, Brittany!"

Brittany looked up and smiled. "Hey yourself. Want some? Ben left. I had no idea. I was talking to myself for like, ten minutes without even knowing."

"Heck yes!" Tamara grinned. She sat in the chair Ben had previously occupied and looked at the plate hungrily.

"Here you are." She handed her the plate. Brittany sat opposite of her and started eating off her own plate. About halfway through, she stopped and glanced at Tamara. "Tamara, I've got some bad news."

Tamara stopped eating and looked up at her. "Oh my god! You're pregnant!"

"No."

"You're in love with a cold, manipulative mass murderer?"

"Well, yes, but-,"

"You hit menopause!"

"No!"

"Ben Jr. died."

"Close."

"You-,"

"Tamara!" Brittany shouted. Tamara silenced instantly. "It's Mikhail. He died."

Tamara's face dropped. "NOOOOOOOO!" she yelled.

Brittany nodded sadly. "I know."

"But, now I don't have anyone to push through sonic fences who will magically come back alive! I'll never get to steal his eyepatch!" Tamara wailed

"I know," Brittany sobbed. They ran into each other's arms and cried their hearts out over a man they had known very little about.

Their emotional outburst was interrupted when John, Hurley, and Sawyer walked into the house. "Uh, dudes?" Hurley asked.

The girls wiped their faces and looked at the three men. "What are you guys doing here?" Brittany asked.

John revealed a box in his hands. Risk. Sawyer spoke. "We were going to challenge Benny-boy to a game of war. I've been dreaming about taking over his country, see."

Brittany laughed. "Yeah, you'd probably fail. Miserably. Sorry boys, but Ben's not home to play right now. Why don't you stop by later?"

John shook his head. "We'll play here."

"Why here?" Tamara asked.

"Because she has pancakes." Hurley pointed to Brittany. "Hook me up, man." She smiled and handed him a stack. They all set up the board on the table and started to play.

Within five minutes, Brittany lost. "Damn it! That's what I get for choosing to rule Romania first."

"Why did you choose Romania?" Tamara asked.

"Uh, maybe because once my army was strong enough, we were going to resurrect Count Dracula, and we would rule you all!" she said as if it were obvious. They all stared at her.

"Now, why does Ben like her?" Sawyer whispered to Hurley.

Brittany only grinned and stood up. "Speaking of Ben, I'm going to go find him. Ta-ta boys. And girl," she added after seeing Tamara's scowl.

Brittany exited the house and searched for Ben. She saw Claire going into her house and waved. Claire gave her a strange look and backed into her house. "Sheesh. Staying with Ben is totally cramping my style and reputation."

She finally found him in some random house. Brittany tip-toed inside, hearing piano music. Her expression grew curious. Peeking around the wall, she saw Ben playing the piano. A sucker for a man who could play the piano, her heart instantly melted over. Brittany crept up behind him and listened to him play.

"Hello, Brittany," Ben said. He looked up at her while playing, giving a small smile.

"You play the piano," she said, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"So I do," Ben remarked. "I take it Tamara came for pancakes?"

Brittany nodded. "I'm sorry I weirded you out earlier." She pressed herself against him and rested her chin on the top of his head.

"Your sudden bursts of hyperness and hormones are startling and sometimes frightening, but I find them rather entertaining as well," Ben said.

"Good, because that's going to keep happening," Brittany grinned. She listened to his playing once more. "Prelude No. 2 in C minor by Rachmaninoff," she said to herself aloud.

"You listen to classical," Ben said in surprise.

Brittany detached herself from him and sat next to him on the bench. "I do. Surprising, isn't it?" She watched his fingers move elegantly across the keyboard.

"Do you know how to play?" he asked her.

"No, but I always wanted to learn," she admitted.

"Well, in that case," Ben stood and moved behind her. Before Brittany could say anything, her hands were on the piano with his fingers pressing on hers. "Now, just follow what I'm doing," he instructed.

Ben switched to a more, upbeat jazzy tune. He pushed down on her fingers with his. Brittany laughed. "So, when I play a concert, I'll have to hide you in a cloak behind me."

Ben smiled and continued pressing on her fingers. "You'll learn in time. When circumstances have changed, perhaps then I can give you a proper lesson."

Brittany smirked. "That can be taken in a sexual sense, you know."

"Maybe it was supposed to be," he murmured in her ear.

Brittany felt the temperature in the room increase dramatically. She felt his lips on the back of her ear, to which she tensed instantly. "Well, this is a change," she breathed.

"I can be…pleasing," he murmured and moved his lips to her neck. "Once I grow more comfortable around the person, that is."

Ben returned to sitting next to her and gingerly encircled her in his arms. "I have to tell you something," he said, his voice becoming hesitant.

Brittany looked up at him wearily. However, her expression changed to one of excitement when she saw the look of determination on his face. "I'll admit that your friend assisted me in this problem." Ben's gaze didn't back down. "I feel I should tell you now, in case anything should happen."

"Then tell me!" Brittany said, slightly exasperated.

Ben smirked. "Brittany, I-,"

"What does Code 14 J mean?" John asked, barging into the room. Both Brittany and Ben turned and glared at him.

Then Ben's mind clicked. "Where did you hear that?" he asked, a look of fear crossing his face.

"Your phone was ringing," John said, a look of confusion on his face.

Ben shot up and picked the piano bench's top off, making Brittany nearly fall to the floor. Inside was a shotgun. Ben grabbed it and held it out to Sawyer. "We'll fortify ourselves in the other house. It has a better defensive location. We don't' have much time." Ben practically took off out of the house. John and Sawyer glanced at one another then took off after him.

Brittany gaped at them. "Well, let's all just leave me behind!" With a frustrated sigh, she ran after them. They were already back at Ben's house by the time she caught up.

"I'll make time," Sawyer was saying and ran off.

As Ben turned to talk to John, Tamara walked out onto the porch. "What's going on?" she asked. Ben ignored her.

"Looks like we're getting ready for battle," Brittany replied, joining her.

Ben suddenly remembered Brittany was there." They're here," he told them. He practically grabbed Brittany's arm and yanked her over to him. "You have to stay close to me," he told her quietly. "They won't risk hurting me."

Brittany was pretty much slammed up against his chest. "Well, we can't get much closer than this," she smiled.

Ben smirked then and said suggestively, "Oh, I can think of a few ways."

"No!" Tamara cried. "No sex! Now isn't the time!"

Ben glared. Brittany looked forlorn. John merely scratched his head. Ben released her and started walking into the house. Brittany reached out and took his hand. This made him pause and tense up. She ran an encouraging thumb over the top of his hand. She saw his head lower slightly in thought, then he took her hand as well. With his back still to her, Ben led her, as well as everyone else, into the house. Once inside, he let go of her hand and frantically started piling things against the door.

John watched him in awe. "These people that are coming, you're scared of them, aren't you?"

Ben glanced up. "Yes, John, I am." He walked over to his desk and took out what resembled an AK-47. He cocked it and looked up at John. "Welcome to the war, John."

Brittany, meanwhile, was looking at the Risk gameboard. "So, who won?" she asked Tamara.

"I did, of course," Tamara replied proudly. "They couldn't withstand my massive army and attacks." She caught Ben's stance out of the corner of her eye and turned to look at him. "Dude, your boyfriend is going completely commando!"

Brittany's head shot up. "He is?!" She looked at Ben, expecting him to be stripping himself bare, but she only found him posing with a gun. "No, he's not," she shook her head.

Tamara rolled her eyes. "I meant he looks like a general."

"Oh." Brittany lowered her head.

"How's Sawyer going to get back in?" Hurley, who magically appeared with Claire's baby, asked.

"He's not," Ben said in a tone that obviously meant 'I don't give a hoot what happens to James Ford.' He pulled another gun out of his desk and handed it to Brittany. "Do you know how to use it?" he asked.

Brittany took the hand gun from him and looked at it. "I've seen lots of movies and played tons of video games. I think I know what I'm doing," she smirked, cocking her gun as well.

Tamara appeared between them. "Where's my gun?"

Ben flinched slightly. "I don't really trust you with a gun."

Tamara frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine. I'd rather fight with a lightsaber anyway.

Ben looked at her in surprise. "How do you know about the lightsabers?"

"Star Wars, duh!" Tamara shot a look at him.

Ben shook his head. "No. How do you know about the lightsabers here?"

Tamara paused. "You mean, you have actual lightsabers?"

This time, Ben looked even more confused. "Yessss," he drawled out. "I thought you were referring to the supply of lightsabers in the Tempest station."

Brittany jumped in then. "Wait. You have actual lightsabers? Like the real kind? Not the loser plastic ones?"

Ben's eyebrows knit together. "Yes. The Dharma Initiative succeeded in making a large supply of them during their time here. They were very big Star Wars fans," he smirked.

"We should fight with those instead!" Tamara declared.

Ben looked at her like she was insane. "Be my guest. When you return looking like swiss cheese, don't come crying to me."

Tamara raised her head defensively. "Fine."

John tapped Tamara on the shoulder and held out a handgun to her as well. "You might want this."

Tamara took it. "Thank you, _John_," she sent a glare in Ben's direction.

Ben returned to looking out the window. Suddenly, the sounds of guns thundered outside. Everyone moved to the kitchen, aiming their guns at the door. Tamara saw Hurley walk to Ben's room with Aaron. She followed.

When she entered the room, her mouth dropped open in horror. Hurley was suffocating the baby! At least, that's what it looked like to her. She leapt over to him and grabbed the baby from inside the laundry basket.

"What are you doing, Hurley?! He's a baby, not dirty underwear!" she exclaimed. "And what _are _you doing with that blanket?" Tamara yanked it from his hands. "Watch, _I'll _show you how it's done." She instructed him in the ways of carefully placing a baby into a laundry basket and covering him with a blanket. "There. All better."

Hurley looked confused. "Dude, I did the same exact thing."

Tamara blinked. "No, you didn't."

"Yeah, I kinda did."

"Nope, what I did was completely different."

"Dude! You just put the baby in the basket. That's what I did, too!"

"Na-uh! You put him in like this." Tamara demonstrated by putting Aaron in. "_I _put him in like _this_." She _carefully _put Aaron in. "See? Major difference."

Hurley was about to argue more, but Brittany charged up to them. "Hey guys, remember the battle we're sort of in right now? Yeah, we could use your help out front." She winked and ran back out.

"Open the front door!" Tamara whipped around and looked out the window. Sawyer was running, carrying Claire. "Open the front door!" he shouted again.

Tamara frowned. "Why doesn't he just use the back window?"

Hurley ignored her and ran off into the living room, man-boobs bouncing and all. Ben saw him. "Hugo, you don't want to do that."

Brittany regarded Ben for a moment. He was looking mighty sexy posing with his gun like that. A _real _man. She resisted the urge to tackle him right then and there in a fiery kiss. Ben caught her eye, however, and raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," she sighed, smiling. Ben only blinked at her and returned his attention to Hugo as he and John moved furniture out of the way of the window. Sawyer climbed through. Hurley and John took Claire into Ben's room. Brittany felt bad for Ben. He must have felt very exposed with everyone going through his room.

"Why kill us without even telling us what they want?" Sawyer was asking.

"Those people were killed to make you angry, James. So, you'd be more likely to throw me to the wolves," Ben replied.

"Well, why not?" Sawyer leapt up and grabbed Ben by the collar. "What do you say, on three?" he asked John.

Brittany grabbed a frying pan, planning to hit Sawyer over the head if he truly intended on giving Ben up. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. James and John jumped toward the door. Ben aimed his gun at the door, as did Tamara.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Ben sang.

"Shut up!" James growled. He nodded at John. Brittany moved closer to the door.

"Brittany! Get back here!" Ben hissed.

"In a moment, dumpling." Brittany raised her arms as if she were about to swing a bat.

John opened the door. Brittany cried, "YAW!" and hit the person full-on in the face. The person yelped and fell into the room. The person was none other than Miles. "Oops," Brittany said quietly.

They dragged Miles in and set him against the wall. Ben stood beside her. "Nice work," he smirked.

"I know. I'm a blackbelt when it comes to using frying pans," she smirked back.

Miles came to and shot Brittany a glare. "Jeez. I was only fooling around when I offered to have sex with you."

Ben's eyes bulged. "What?!"

Brittany placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "It was just a flippant conversation. He heard the conversation Tamara and I were having about you being all grumpy."

Ben's eyes flashed. "But he offered to sleep with you?"

"…Yeah," she said hesitantly.

Ben's jaw clenched. He took the frying pan from her and hit Miles over the head with it. "She's mine!" he growled, hitting him one more time. John grabbed the frying pan from Ben and pushed him away from Miles.

"Ben! Calm down!" he shouted.

Brittany and Tamara stared wide-mouthed at Ben as he regained his composure in the corner.

Tamara leaned over to Brittany and whispered, "Dude, your boyfriend is crazily jealous."

Brittany sighed dreamily. "I know. Wasn't it amazing how he defended my honor like that? A true gentleman…" Tamara gave her friend a weird look and edged away.

Brittany took Ben's hand and gave him a bright smile. "You're sweet," she said.

Ben cocked an eyebrow at her. "For hitting a man with a frying pan?"

"Yes," she nodded.

Ben smirked. "Well, whatever turns you on."

Miles came to once more and raised his arms over his head. "Before anyone else decides to hit me with cooking instruments, I have a message for Ben."

Ben turned away from Brittany and looked at him expectantly. "From those people?" he asked. Miles nodded. "Why would I want to talk to them?"He rested his chin on the butt of his gun.

Miles grew exasperated. "They have a hostage."

"Well, your people badly miscalculated because every single one of my people are willing to die for this island," Ben shot back.

Miles shook his head. "It's your daughter!"

Ben froze as did Brittany's heart and Tamara's breathing. No one else seemed to care. Ben walked over to Miles and took the walkie talkie extended to him. "Hello?"

"Am I speaking to Benjamin Linus?" a gravelly voiced man asked.

"That's right," Ben snapped.

"I want you to walk to your east window. Let's talk about this face to face." Brittany and Tamara looked at all the windows, trying to figure out which one pointed east.

"Does anybody have a compass?" Brittany asked, starting to search for one. Tamara frantically joined her. Ben, who was lost in his own world, moved to a window, because he didn't need a pathetic compass to tell him where he was going. He had a mental GPS.

During their search for a compass, Brittany and Tamara missed most of the conversation between Ben and the man outside. However, when they finally tuned in, they could see that the conversation wasn't going well. "Ben's not going to leave. That man is going to kill her!" Brittany whispered sharply to Tamara.

"We have to do something. Come on!" Tamara grabbed Brittany's wrist and pulled her to the back of the house. They entered Ben's room and climbed out of the window. Sticking close to the wall, they crept to the other side where they saw a huge man with a military style haircut and clothing holding a gun to Alex's head.

"Daddy!" They heard Alex cry. Both of their hearts twisted uncomfortably.

"Alex," Tamara murmured, panic rising in her. Just then, something caught Brittany's eye. Motioning for Tamara to follow her, she crawled on the ground to where a clothing line was located.

"This is John's underwear," she whispered. Brittany, disgusted, reached her hand in a pulled out a grenade.

"He keeps grenades in his boxers?!" Tamara exclaimed.

"To each his own, I guess," Brittany shrugged.

All of a sudden, they heard a silenced gunshot. Their eyes widened as they looked at each other. "It can't be," Tamara shook her head. Together, they stood and looked at the man and Alex.

"Oh, God," Brittany exhaled as Tamara made a noise of anguished pain. Alex was dead. The two ladies could only watch in horror as the man sauntered away with an arrogant grin on his face.

Brittany looked down at the grenade in her hand. "So much for that," she sighed wearily.

Tamara glanced over. "What were we going to do with it anyway?"

Brittany shrugged and threw it over her shoulder. Somehow, the clip came off and it blew up the house behind them. They were pushed back by the force of the explosion. Looking up, Tamara realized who's house it was. "Way to go, Brittany! You just killed Steve!"

Brittany was even more saddened by this. "Noooo!" she cried. They gave a sound of wonder when a body rose among the rubble.

"Steve!" they shouted in joy. He was alive. Suddenly, two bullet wounds pierced his chest. He crumpled to the ground. "Steve!" they shouted in terror.

Bullets flew around them. Obviously, the army peeps had heard their cries. "Time to leave," Brittany said, pulling on Tamara's arm.

"But Alex! We can't just leave her body out there!" Tamara protested.

"Do you want our bodies to join hers? Let's move!" They stood and stumbled back into Ben's bedroom. Brittany had to see Ben. She knew that he must have been traumatized by this event.

When they entered the living room, however, he was gone. "Where's Ben?" Brittany asked.

James was running about the place. "He locked himself in that room. He's going to sacrifice us all!"

Brittany waved him aside. "No, he's not." She walked to a secret door behind a bookcase and knocked. "Ben? Can you hear me?"

"Probably not. That door is made of complete steel," John told her.

"Has he said anything?" she questioned further.

Hurley shook his head. "No, dude. After that guy…killed Alex, he just ran into that room and sealed himself in. Where did you guys go?"

"We went for a walk around the block," Tamara shrugged. They sat in the living room then, waiting for either Ben to return or something to happen. Tamara and Brittany were silent, each lost in their own depressed thoughts. Even Miles, who never talked to Alex, was looking forlorn. The other guys didn't even care.

The sound of a steel door moving caught Brittany's ear. She looked up and saw James intercept Ben on his way out. They got really close. Brittany, with a flair of jealousy, wondered if something was going on between them as Ben practically slid his lips along James'. She wondered then what their shipper name would be. Bawyer? Bames? Jen? Jenyrajamin? Then again, what was their shipper name? Benittany? Bren? Brittanajamin? And what was Tamara and Desmond's shipper name? Tesmond? Desamara? Desamaraond? So many questions to ponder.

"Excuse me, James. Just coming out of the closet," Ben smirked and brushed by. Brittany caught a look of glee on John's face and felt alarmed. Ben, coming out of the closet? Was he gay? Did she turn him gay? Oh god! She was a bad lover! Brittany started to hyperventilate.

Tamara noticed. "Brittany, what's wrong?"

Brittany turned to her and cried, "I turned Ben gay!"

At this, Ben froze and turned back to her. "Excuse me?"

Brittany waved a hand at him. "You don't have to say anything, Ben. I understand. You find John and James much more attractive than me. I'll leave if you want me to so you can all have a hot and sweaty threesome."

Ben's mouth had dropped open by this point. John looked eager. James looked disgusted. "I'm not…homosexual," Ben said in confusion.

"Well, you had me fooled," Tamara rolled on the balls of her feet.

Ben glared at her, then turned back to Brittany. "Our actions last night should have proved to you that I am _not _gay."

Tamara's head snapped up. "You mean you guys actually had sex?"

Brittany glowered. "No! Thanks to a certain someone. We just had a very nice…snuggle session."

Ben smirked. "There was a lot more than snuggling."

Tamara held up her hand to stop them. "TMI! No more!" She then realized that Ben was all dirty. "Ben? Why are you filthy? You weren't making mud pies in there were you?"

Ben's face fell as he remembered what was going on and what had happened. "When I say to, you all need to run out of here and head for the treeline."

"Which treeline? This place is surrounded by trees," Brittany told him.

"Towards the guys with guns?" Hugo asked.

"No. We want to stay as far away from them as possible," Ben replied. A strange noise emitted from outside. Ben rushed to the window. As did Tamara and Brittany. Outside, a massive cloudy thing rushed by, roaring and making very frightening noises.

"What is that?" Brittany asked.

"A friend," Ben replied.

"His name is George," Tamara smiled.

"Really?" Brittany looked at her.

"It is now," she shrugged.

"Alright. Everyone outside. Outside, now!" Ben ordered. They all scurried off. For the first time, Brittany saw that Claire was awake. She carried Aaron and followed close behind James. They went outside and watched as George made mince meat out of the evil man's men.

"Yeah! Go George! You get 'em George!" Brittany and Tamara cheered the smoky-thing on. Behind them, James and the others fled. Ben took a step toward the men.

"Where are you going?" John asked.

Ben turned to him. Brittany bit her lip when she saw that his eyes were read and hew as on the verge of tears. "I have to say goodbye to my daughter, John."

John was silenced by that. He handed Ben a rifle and ran off into the jungle like a dork. Ben looked at her. "You need to go, too, Brittany. It's save over there."

Brittany shook her head and took his hand. I'm not going to leave you alone," she murmured. Ben was too emotionally wrecked to argue. Together, they walked to Alex's body. Ben sagged to his knees and took Alex in his arms. He was flat-out crying now. Brittany kneeled beside him and placed a hand on his back.

Tamara joined them as well. Her own eyes were filled with tears. They sat on either side of Alex, their tears falling onto her bloodied body. Ben leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He sat back and continued to cry.

Brittany practically grabbed him and pulled him into her arms, crushing him to her. She felt him tense under her arms and realized that he wasn't used to someone comforting him. Cradling him in her arms, Brittany cried into his hair while he cried into her chest. Tamara didn't have anyone to cry on. Too bad for her. Finally,, Ben slowed his tears and calmed himself. Brittany stroked his head soothingly.

They didn't say anything. Ben stood shakily to his feet and wiped his eyes. He took one last look at Alex, then straightened his shoulders and marched on.

Tamara and Brittany took a little longer to leave. "She was my pranking buddy," Tamara said quietly.

"She was almost my step-daughter," Brittany replied. Looking at one another, they gave each other a warm hug and followed after Ben.

Once they'd caught up to him, Brittany slipped her hand in his, to which he held on tightly. They joined John and the others in the jungle. John must have finally remembered that Alex was Ben's daughter, because he said, "I'm sorry about Alex."

Ben lowered his head for a moment. "Thank you, John."

"That being said, you lied to me," John continued rashly. Ben gave him a look of surprise. "You said you didn't know what the monster was."

"George," Tamara offered.

"You can ask Jacob all about it," Ben told him.

"Who the hell is this Jacob?" James asked, butting in to the conversation.

"Jacob's the one who's going to tell us what to do next, James," Ben explained.

"I'm not going to any cabin. I never should have went with you wackos in the first place," James argued. Brittany grinned at having been called a wacko. "I'm going back to the beach and Claire and the baby are coming with me." He turned to Claire. "That alright with you?"

"Yeah, that's alright," Claire replied in an uncertain voice. James, Miles, and Claire started to walk off. Hugo turned to follow them.

John raised his gun. "Not you, Hugo."

James whipped around and pointed his gun at John. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Hugo stays with us," John replied calmly.

"Dudes, keep me out of this," Hugo said weakly.

"We need you to find the cabin, Hugo," John explained.

More discussion and threats soon followed until Hugo decided to go with John and Ben. James looked at the two ladies. "Well? Are you coming or not?"

"Nope,," Brittany smiled, feeling Ben squeeze her hand.

"I want to be with the wackos," Tamara said.

James huffed and started walking away with Claire and Miles following after him. "Which way?" John asked.

Ben reached out for the torch and said, "Follow me." He began walking quickly in the opposite direction that James was taking, dragging Brittany behind him.

They followed him for the rest of the night, until he slowly made his way in back. John took the lead then. As they walked, Brittany kept glancing over to Ben. He had a faraway look in his eyes. Brittany knew he wasn't usually one for words. So, she squeezed his hand in an effort to comfort him.

Tamara was talking to Hurley about how he was worth millions of dollars. John was in his own little world. Brittany turned to Ben. "You doing alright?" she asked.

Ben didn't say anything at first. Then he looked at her. "My daughter was just killed. How do you think I am?"

Brittany bit her lip. "Look, Ben, I know it hurts, but you're not alone. I'm here."

Ben shook his head. "No. I'm very much alone."

She stopped him, letting the others go on ahead. She fixed a stern eye on him. "Now listen here, Mr. Benjamin Linus," she poked him in the chest while she spoke, "Alex died, I know. I was kind of there, too. You've got to pull yourself together though. You're the only one who has any idea what's going on. You can't wallow in your grief now!"

Ben simply stared at her as she ranted, a look of surprise at her outburst on his face. Then he did something she wasn't expecting. He pulled her to him and captured her lips in a deep kiss. He pushed her back until she was pinned against a tree.

She could feel that he was shaking. His lips moved to her neck. "Ben," she breathed into his ear, nibbling on it a moment later. She heard him give the smallest of moans. Apparently, his ears were a weak spot.

His hands were snaking under her shirt; however, before he could touch anything, a cough was heard behind them.

They froze. Her mouth around his ear and his lips and tongue were on her neck. "Brittany," Ben whispered.

"Yes, Ben?"

"I'm, uh, a little indecent right now," he said.

Brittany smiled. "Don't worry." She moved in front of him, blocking their view of his lower half. "Hey guys," she waved at them.

John, Hugo, and Tamara stood staring at them. "Now's not the time to start a reproducing spree!" Tamara cried.

"You're just jealous," Brittany stuck her tongue out.

"Thank you, Brittany," Ben said in his calm, even voice. "Shall we continue, John?"

John shrugged. "How long until we get there?"

Ben blinked. "I don't know. I was following him," he pointed to Hugo.

"What? I wasn't even in front!" Hugo said.

Tamara raised her hands. "Wait a minute! You were leading by following? How does that work?"

"Actually, we've been walking in a circle for the past three hours. I was surprised you hadn't caught on, John," Ben smirked. John looked miffed at having been told. "What do _you _think we should do?" Ben asked John.

"We're making camp," John said finally.

They moved to a clearer spot and John started making a campfire. Ben just sat down and watched everyone set up a camp. Hurley came back with fruit. John came back with a couple of rabbits. Tamara came back with flowers. Brittany had remained with Ben.

"Uh, Tamara? We don't eat flowers," Brittany told her.

Tamara rolled her eyes. "I'm making awesome bracelets and necklaces."

"…Why?" Ben asked.

"Because I'm bored," Tamara replied simply.

Brittany and Ben rolled their eyes and held each other closer. In time, John had the fire going and everyone sat around it.

Brittany and Tamara smirked at each other across the fire. Brittany grabbed Ben's and John's hands and Tamara grabbed John's and Hugo's hands. Together, they began swaying and singing. "Kumba-yah, my Lord. Kumbah-yah!"

"NO!" Ben and John shouted.

Tamara and Brittany sent each other evil smiles and stopped singing. "Alright, dudes. I'm going to sleep," Hurley said and moved off a bit from the fire.

"Sounds logical," Ben nodded and moved back against a log. John kept stoking the fire. Tamara moved off, too. Brittany crawled back to Ben.

"Still sleeping with me?" Ben asked quietly, looking over at her.

"I don't know. Forces seem to be preventing us from that particular action," Brittany sighed.

Ben turned red. "I meant next to me," he said, his voice even quieter.

"Oh," Brittany blushed. "Then yes, I am." She laid next to him. Ben locked her in place with his possessive holding.

"I'm not going to let you leave my side now, you know," Ben told her.

"Good," Brittany replied.

"You respond well to my possessive nature," Ben noticed.

Brittany wrapped her own arms around him. "Well, I'm equally as possessive."

"Are you?" Ben smirked.

"Well, maybe not, but I don't intend for another woman to ever lay eyes on you."

"Tamara's looking at me," Ben's smirk grew.

"Yeah, well, she hates you. You know what I mean by look," Brittany said.

"Indeed, but you needn't worry. I scare or intimidate most women who meet me," Ben sighed.

"Not me," Brittany said softly.

"Amazingly not, but you're insane anyway," Ben shrugged.

Brittany playfully slapped his chest. "Not so loud," she smiled.

She snuggled into his arms and closed her eyes. "Good night, Ben."

"Good night, Brittany," he murmured. Before long, she fell asleep.

When she woke, Ben was sitting on the log above her. "I used to have dreams," he said. Brittany blinked, what? She turned and saw that he was talking to John.

"I had a dream," she said. Ben looked down at her expectantly. "There was a giraffe following me in my hotel room. It kept chasing me everywhere I went," she said. Ben's reply was a raised eyebrow.

"I had a dream, too!" Tamara exclaimed. "Indiana Jones and I were also in a hotel room. He went to take a shower and then," she paused dramatically, "the Eskimos attacked." Ben's other eyebrow joined his arched one.

"One, two, Freddy's coming for you," Hurley said as he sat up.

Brittany and Tamara looked at him. "Sorry. Couldn't resist," he grinned.

John stood. "Well, it looks like we all have dreams here except Ben."

Tamara gave him an evil smile. "Not even wet dreams, Ben?"

Ben's ears turned red, and his eyes flashed dangerously.

John jumped in before any fighting could occur. "We need to get moving. I know where we're going."

They all stood and followed John through the jungle. While walking, Hurley said, "I have a theory on why we can all see the cabin and others can't."

"I'd love to hear your theory," John said.

"I think it's because we're the craziest."

Ben smirked. Brittany crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. "Speak for yourself," Tamara snapped.

They continued walking in silence after that. "Why is he leading us here?" Ben asked himself quietly at one point.

"Where?" Brittany asked. Ben glanced at her and remained silent. Tamara started to recognize where they were going to and sent Ben a 'you're-going-to-be-so-screwed' look. Ben rolled his eyes and grew even more moodier.

At long last, they stopped. Ben shrank back slightly. Brittany stepped closer to John as he talked about what happened to the Dharma people. She followed them to a massive pile of skeletal corpses.

"What happened to them?" Hurley asked.

John nodded to Ben. "He did."

Brittany's head shot up. "What?"

John understood. "Oh, right. Ben made you leave before he shot me into this pit."

Brittany turned and looked at Ben, who had taken a great interest in a leaf on the ground. "So, this is them, then? The ones you killed?"

His head snapped up. "I didn't kill them." He walked over to her and looked over her shoulder at the numerous dead bodies. Seeing that John was going to be excavating, Ben sat down on the edge of the pit and let his legs dangle.

"But I thought you were their leader," Hurley said, standing next to Brittany.

"Not always," Ben sighed.

Brittany sat next to him and took his hand in hers. She felt him squeeze her hand.

"So, this is where you shot Locke, then?" Hugo continued to ask.

Ben grew annoyed. "Yes, Hugo. I was standing right where you are now when I pulled the trigger."

Hugo looked down. He moved as if afraid that he might magically acquire a gun, turn into Ben, and shoot someone into a pit. Ben seemed to tense suddenly. Brittany looked over at him. He had a look of confusion on his face.

"What is it?" Brittany asked quietly.

"John's touching Horace," Ben said.

"…So?"

"That's Annie's father," Ben told her. Brittany didn't know how to react to that.

"Oh. _Your _Annie."

"Yes. My Annie," Ben nodded.

Brittany crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, I'm sure _Annie _was told a certain few words, from a certain someone a few certain times a day."

Ben looked at her, his eyes slightly wide in surprise. "Well-,"

"Well, whatever!" Brittany exclaimed.

John climbed out of the pit. "What you got there, dude?" Hugo asked.

John showed it to them. Ben stood, Brittany following suit. Tamara appeared next to her. "Blueprints?" Tamara asked.

John nodded. "You can head back to camp now, Hugo," he turned to him.

"What? Why?"

"I forced you to come with us," John said.

"Oh, I get it. Now that you have your little piece of paper, you don't need me anymore," Hugo said, offended.

"I don't want to get into trouble," John insisted.

"So, walking in the jungle alone at night is better? I think I'd rather stick with you guys," Hugo told him.

John just looked at him. "This way, right?" Hugo asked, pointing with his machete which he magically acquired, nearly hitting Ben.

Brittany cried out, "Oh my god! Watch out, Hugo!"

"What?" Hugo asked, turning, moving the machete with him. Ben's eyes widened, and he dropped to the ground in order to dodge the machete. "Whoa! Sorry, dude!" Hugo said, putting the machete down.

Ben exhaled slowly. "That's fine, Hugo." Tamara took Hugo by the shoulders and guided him away before Brittany could attack him. Brittany, meanwhile, was kneeling next to Ben.

"Are you alright?" she asked, checking to make sure he wasn't bleeding to death from a huge gash.

Ben rolled his eyes at her worry. "Yes, Brittany. I'm fine."

She grabbed the front of his shirt and noticed it was cut open. "Ben! Your shirt has a huge gash in it!"

"Yes, but I'm not bleeding," Ben told her.

Brittany smirked. "Are you sure? I think I should check myself." She began pulling up on his shirt, trying to pull his shirt over his head.

"Brittany? What are you doing?" Ben fought against her, pulling his shirt down.

"Just let me-,"

"Tamara! Help me! Your friend is going to rape me!" Ben cried.

"Brittany! Now I told you to play nice with your toys," Tamara scolded, grabbing her by the back of the collar and hauling her off.

"But I need him! I need you, Ben!" she shouted back to him.

"Later," Tamara said. They continued walking to the cabin, Ben staying away from Brittany. Night fell upon them, and they were still walking.

Ben was talking to John. "What if the cabin's moved again, John?" He started talking about the things that sucked in his life, making Brittany want to go over and hug him, but Tamara made her continue moving.

"I'm sorry those things happened to you, Ben," John said.

Ben shrugged. "Those things had to happen to me, John. That was my destiny."

"Your destiny was to have a sucky life? Well, that…sucks," Tamara said simply.

Ben ignored her. He turned back to John. "Soon you'll come to find that there are consequences of being chosen. Because destiny, John, is a fickle bitch."

John, Tamara, and Brittany all stood mesmerized. Not because of the things he said, but because he _swore. _

"Uh, dudes," Hugo's voice brought them out of their reverie. "Cabin."

They joined him and all marveled at the death-trap that was Jacob's cabin. John said he was going in, no one followed. Hugo hid behind the tree. Ben hid behind Hugo. Brittany hid behind Ben. Tamara hid behind Brittany.. They all peeked over the other person's shoulder and urged John forward.

Once John entered the cabin, Tamara muttered, "He's a goner." Brittany nodded. Having sacrificed one of their own, they all felt better. Sitting in a circle, they waited for John to return (if he ever did). Ben had finally conquered his fears and had realized that Brittany's previous aggressive behavior had been quite a turn on. They were back to holding each other's hands and wishing they were alone.

Suddenly, Hugo pulled out a candy bar. He opened it and began eating. Ben stared at the chocolate bar. Brittany could practically see the drool coming out of his mouth. Silently, Hugo handed him the rest. "Wow. He doesn't even ask. All Ben does is stare, and he gets what he wants," Tamara whispered to Brittany.

"I know," Brittany gave a lovesick sigh. Ben looked over at her and smiled. She instantly smiled back. He offered her a piece of the chocolate. Brittany happily took it and began eating. Tamara's mouth dropped open. _She _didn't get any chocolate! Hugo amended the situation by giving her a piece of his chocolate.

So, when John returned (unharmed), they were all chewing and smacking their lips loudly to rub in the fact that _he _didn't have any.

"Did he tell us what we're supposed to do?" Ben suddenly asked, remembering why they were there in the first place.

John nodded.

"Well?" they all asked.

"I'm not going to tell you," John replied dismissively.

"Why not?!" they all cried.

"Because, _I _didn't get any chocolate," John whined.

"Well, we don't have anymore," Brittany told him. They all looked at Hugo, whose eyes were darting back and forth guiltily.

"Hugo?" Ben asked.

"Alright, fine! I confess! Here," he opened his shirt, making the three, except John, yelp and look away. John saw that inside of Hugo's shirt were candy bars, chips, ranch, celery, and peanut butter. How he managed to hid these items without his shirt showing was another mystery that would never be solved. He handed John a candy bar.

Once John had taken a bite of the candy bar, he said, "Jacob told me we have to move the island."

Ben paled and nearly passed out. Brittany noticed his strange behavior. "How? I mean, we can't exactly say, 'Anchors away' can we?"

Ben shook his head, his color returning. "No." Then he abruptly turned and began walking through the jungle. They followed after him.

During the next few hours of walking, they continually asked where they were going, except for Brittany. Ben didn't answer them. At daylight, they were still walking. Still, they asked and Ben didn't answer.

Brittany rolled her eyes. She was growing annoyed with them asking. Deciding to take matters in her own hands, she asked politely, "Ben, dear, would you please tell us where we're going?"

Ben smirked. Finally, someone asked with good manners. "Of course, Brittany. We're going to the Orchid station." They shared a secret smile.

Tamara broke in by saying, "Orchid station? We're going to move the island by taking care of the flowers?"

Ben rolled his eyes this time. "No, Tamara. It's a station in a station on top of a station," he explained simply. Tamara and Brittany nodded, completely understanding him. John and Hugo were completely confused. They walked to the top of a hill, where Ben led them to a pile of rocks. He pulled out a case. John moved his foot on top of it, trying to smush Ben's fingers.

"Allow me," John said.

Ben straightened and allowed him to open the crate. "Free labor," he shrugged at Brittany, who smirked. John opened the crate and pulled out a bag of crackers. Hugo began eating them; Ben gave him a wary look. "May I have that?" he asked John, indicating a mirror.

"Ben, now's not the time to check to see if you have any bald spots," Tamara scolded as he raised the mirror above his head. He sent her a glare. Brittany laughed and snuck Tamara a high five.

"Who are you communicating to?" John asked.

"Who do you think?" was Ben's ever unanswering reply. "Alright. We can go now," Ben said, ;putting down the mirror.

Brittany looked up to where Ben had been pointing the mirror to and saw a flash. Unfortunately, the flash was so bright, she was momentarily blinded. "Gah! My eyes! I've been _blinded_!" She slapped her hands over her eyes.

Tamara, meanwhile, was eating crackers with Hugo. Ben sneered at them as he put his mirror away. "You know those are fifteen years old." Tamara instantly began gagging. Hugo just stared at her and continued eating. They began walking once more, Tamara gagging, Brittany clutching her eyes. It was in this fashion that a few hours later they arrived at the Orchid station.

Ben told John to get down and practically tackled Brittany to the ground. He took the binoculars and looked through the trees.

Brittany was still blinking furiously, and Tamara eyed Hugo's crackers sickly. "They're already here," Ben seethed. Brittany was finally able to see. She took the binoculars from John and looked to the back of the station. Sure enough, camouflaged men were moving about.

"I need you to hold onto this for me," Ben said to her. Brittany removed the binoculars from her eyes and looked at him. He was holding out a black, plastic thing to her.

Brittany looked at him in confusion. "I'm going to take care of Keamy's men."

Brittany blinked. "Well, I'm coming, too. You can't take care of all of them, Ben."

Ben looked back at her. Glancing at the others, he placed a hand on her shoulder and led her a few paces away. "Brittany, this once you can't come with me."

Brittany gave him a stern look. "Don't you remember our bet, Ben? I can go wherever I please."

Ben smiled at the memory. "That may be, but this time is different. This time you have to do as I ask."

Brittany gave him a pleading look. "But Ben, if Keamy gets his hands on you, they're going to take you away."

Ben only smiled. "Probably."

She rolled her eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be persuading me?"

He smirked. "Yes, but I know you're going to do it."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah? And why is that?"

Ben took a step nearer to her, so they're chests were nearly touching. "Because I know how you feel about me, and how you'll do anything I ask." A smirk formed on his lips.

Brittany blushed and averted her gaze. "Yeah, well, not anything," she weakly defended herself. She lifted her head to look back up at him and found his lips brushing against hers. He had moved even closer to her. She felt her heart flutter as his warm breath covered her face. "And what about you, Ben? What about your feelings?"

His hands found their way to her waist. He paused, thinking. "If you do as I say this once, I'll tell you exactly how I feel when I return," he breathed.

Brittany's eyes closed, and she slowly nodded. "I accept your terms."

Finally, Ben pressed his lips against hers. Brittany eagerly took them and deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. John, Hugo, and Tamara awkwardly looked away.

Ben pulled back and lingered for a moment. "Stay," he murmured. Brittany nodded. He pulled away and turned to John. Completely business-like, he said, "John, once I've taken care of the men inside, I want you to go inside. You'll see a patch of Anthuriums. Press the button there and take the elevator all the way to the bottom. Then you'll be in the actual station."

Tamara cut in. "I'm coming, too," she told Ben

Both Brittany and Ben gave her an incredulous stare. "Why?" Ben asked her.

"Because if you die, Brittany will be forever mopey. Besides, I'm bored and don't want to play gardener."

Ben stared at her. "Okay," he said, drawing out the word.

Brittany looked affronted. "Hey!" Ben gave her an apologetic look.

"We're leaving now," he told Tamara. "Follow me. Do as I do. For the love of God, don't say anything," Ben warned her.

Tamara only stuck her tongue out at him when he turned his back to her. Ben began moving through the trees. Brittany grabbed Tamara and pulled her into a hug. "Be careful, alright?" she whispered.

Tamara smirked and hugged her back. "I always am. Besides, it's not like I'm some extra in a television show. If this was a television show, my name would be in one of the starring positions in the credits."

Brittany laughed and released her. "You and me both." Tamara patted her shoulder and winked. Then she followed Ben through the trees.

John, Hugo, and Brittany hid once more. John held the binoculars up to his eyes. He made a noise of warning. Brittany, unable to take the suspense, grabbed the binoculars from him and looked through them. However, they were still around John's neck, so when Brittany took them, John found himself being choked. As he gasped for air, Brittany watched as Ben and Tamara walked slowly into the greenhouse. Brittany couldn't help noticing that this would have been a perfect time for dramatic-walking-music.

John clutched at his throat. Brittany watched Ben speak to Keamy. Her heart beating wildly in fear, she cried out when Keamy hit him in the head with the back of his gun. Tamara was hit over the back of her head and slumped to the ground beside Ben.

Brittany let the binoculars fall out of her hands. John was instantly released from his choke hold. She jumped to her feet and was about to run off to them, but Hugo tackled her in a bear hug.

"Hugo! Get off! They need me!" she exclaimed, trying to kick him off.

John, now composed, helped restrain her. "I have a feeling Ben has everything in control," he told her calmly.

Brittany relaxed but glared at him. "I hope you're right, John," she spat. She was forced to watch as Keamy and his men hauled off Tamara and Ben.

Once the coast was clear, they moved in. Brittany and John began looking for anthuriams. Problem was, neither of them knew what anthruiams looked like. Hugo was watching them, still eating his crackers.

"What about those?" John asked.

Brittany shook her head. "No, I think those are called carnations."

"Yeah…I knew that," John shifted his eyes.

They searched around some more. Hugo left them to go to the bathroom. Before long, Jack came upon them. Brittany was annoyed and angered by his presence. After all, he was one of the men who had bloodied her Ben's face.

Jack only glanced at her once, though. His attention was focused on John only. While John explained what they were doing, Brittany continued searching for the anthuriams. Time went by slowly for her. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Tamara and Ben.

Giving up all hope on the anthuriams, she merely started watering the plants. "Hello again, Jack," came a voice. But not just any voice. _His _voice. Brittany's head snapped up. Ben. Grinning, she ran over to him and jumped in his arms.

Ben smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "You guys couldn't find the anthuriams, could you?"

John was exasperated. "I don't know what they look like!"

Ben pried her arms off of him and gave her a secret smile. It was then that Brittany realized that Tamara was no longer with him.

"Where's Tamara?" Brittany asked curiously.

Ben glanced at her. "She stayed."

Brittany's brow furrowed. "What do you mean she stayed?"

"She's staying with them. _His _people," he nodded to Jack.

"Why?"

"Something about Desmond," Ben waved it off. Brittany rolled her eyes. 'God speed,' she thought. She followed Ben to the side of the greenhouse, where he waved a potted plant at them.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked.

Ben glanced at John. "Didn't you tell him?"

"I tried," John replied.

Brittany gave Jack a look of disgust; it looked like he was going to cry. "Jack, as much as I'd like to explain what's been going on since you left, we don't have much time. If I were you, I'd want to be on that helicopter within the hour. Good bye, Jack." He turned to John. "Let's go." He grabbed Brittany's hand and pushed the button. The shelf moved and an elevator was revealed.

Ben walked in, pulling Brittany in with him. She nudged him and smirked. "Haven't you got something to tell me?"

Ben looked at her seriously. "Brittany, I'm a romantic person. I don't think an elevator is quite the setting I want."

Brittany frowned. "But, you said-"

"It's coming, Brittany," Ben interrupted her.

John walked in and the conversation ended. Ben pushed another button, and the elevator started to descend. It was awkwardly quiet. Ben and John were looking opposite ways. Brittany was stuck in the middle.

"So…no elevator music?" Brittany asked. Ben smirked and remained silent. He squeezed her hand.

"How deep is this station?" John asked.

Ben glanced at him. "Deep."

They finally arrived at the station. While Ben ran off, John and Tamara began looking around the place. "Is this the magic box?" John finally asked.

Brittany and Ben looked at one another. She could tell they were thinking the same thing: the island is screwed.

"No, John, it's not," Ben replied shortly.

While John started asking really stupid questions to Ben, Brittany started looking through the drawers of a desk. "Brittany, would you mind handing me the tape there?" Ben asked.

Brittany looked down and saw a tape. She handed it to him wordlessly. Ben took it with a nod of his head and turned back to John. "Why don't you watch this very informative video, and I will take care of some business." Brittany quietly laughed at Ben's fatherly tone. John sat down and started watching the video. Brittany watched over John's shoulder and didn't really pay attention to what Halliwax or Candle or whatever his name was nowadays; she was much too distracted by the bunnies.

When the tape began rewinding, she sighed sadly. The bunnies fate would never be known. She returned her attention to Ben, who was putting metallic objects in a tanning room of sorts. John stood and walked over to him. "Is he talking about what I think he's talking about?"

"If you mean time-travelling bunnies, then yes," Ben replied simply. He continued putting the objects into the tanning booth.

"Hey, he said not to put metallic objects in there," John pointed out. Ben only nodded. He walked over to the desk but stopped when the elevator began making noise. Brittany stood beside him and looked over at the elevator. A sinking feeling began to form in her stomach.

"Are you expecting someone?" John asked from behind them.

"May I have my weapon back now, please?" Brittany asked her. Brittany blinked, then realized he was referring to the plastic object. She pulled it out of her pocket and handed it to him. "Thank you," he replied.

Ben placed a hand between her shoulder blades and began leading her to the back of the room. "You're going to hide in here. Do not come out until I say so or until he leaves. Don't make a sound," he warned.

"It's Keamy, isn't it?" she asked. Ben only clenched his jaw in reply. "Be careful, Ben," she whispered. Brittany kissed his cheek briefly and stepped into a locker he had opened for her.

It was dark. She could hardly see through the holes in the locker, but she could hear. Before long, she heard the elevator open and the voice of Martin Keamy echoed through the room. Brittany felt a twinge of annoyance as Keamy spoke. It was sickening how he was trying to draw Ben out. When he mentioned Alex, Brittany's head snapped up. Her heart leapt out to Ben. She knew that he was in pain once more. She was swallowing a painful lump in her throat herself.

Suddenly, she heard John's voice join his. Then, a WHACK and Ben's screaming.

"You killed my daughter!" echoed throughout the station. Brittany felt her heart chill when the sound of stabbing shortly followed. Disregarding his order, she jumped out of her locker and ran to the sound. She was just in time to see John tackle Ben off of a man. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the man was none other than Keamy.

Blood was spurting from Keamy's throat. Brittany looked at Ben. He was twitching and breathing heavily. His hand was bloody. Brittany completely disregarded John and Keamy, and she jumped over the body to Ben. She crouched down next to him and pulled him into a hug, cradling him.

"Why did you do it? You're going to kill all of those people on the freighter," John said in a weary voice.

Brittany had calmed Ben's twitching, and he was breathing normally now. His gaze was fixed on Keamy. "I told you, John. It's not my problem."

She sent him a scolding look, which Ben ignored. Keamy began to speak, his voice labored. "Wherever you go, Widmore will find you."

Ben leaned past Brittany, looming over Keamy. "Not if I find him first." Brittany felt a chill run down her spin at his tone. He remained in that position until Keamy's eyes closed. Brittany heard a beep. She looked at his arm and saw a weird heart-rate monitor thing.

"What just happened?" she asked.

"Ben just killed innocent people on the freighter," John said. Ben looked unperturbed.

"Ben, that was very wrong of you," Brittany admonished him.

Ben stood to his feet and went back to filling the room. "What's done is done." John stood with him and continued pestering him. Brittany looked down at the body and glowered. She stood and sent a kick to his ribs.

"…sometimes, good command decisions get compromised by bad emotional responses," Ben was saying. "I'm sure you'll do a much better job than I ever did."

Brittany paused on her way over to them. Wait a moment. Was Ben handing over the keys? She joined them over at a locker where Ben was pulling out a coat. John was standing next to him. "Don't I get one of those?"

"No," Ben replied, moving back to the room. "You're not coming."

"Yes, I am."

"No, John, you're not."

"Jacob told me-"

"Jacob told you to move the island, but he didn't tell you _how_, because he wants me to suffer the consequences," Ben ended. HE moved to the control panel.

Brittany stood beside John. "What consequences?" she asked.

Ben didn't look at them. "Whoever moves the island can never come back." He paused and looked up at John. "So, I want you to go up there and lead the people you will find waiting for you. They'll teach you everything they know and are willing and able to your every whim." Ben moved closer to a speechless John. He held his hand out. "Good bye, John. I'm sorry I made your life so miserable."

John was hesitant. Understanding finally filled his face, and he took Ben's hand in his own. "Good bye, Ben." He glanced at Brittany then turned and left. The sound of the elevator going up shortly followed.

Ben finally looked at Brittany. "You should follow him. This place will be the safest. The war has officially started. Being with me is no longer a guaranteed safety. If anything, it's a death warrant."

Brittany only rolled her eyes. "I thought you would have realized by now that wherever you go, I follow."

Ben didn't flinch or make any other movement. "You won't be able to come back."

"Which means I won't be able to see you again. I told you you wouldn't be able to get rid of me that easy," Brittany smirked, walking closer to him.

Ben gave a sheepish smile, his head lowered. "You're such a strange woman, wanting to be with me."

Brittany took his hand. "Someone's gotta look after you. Besides, many consider you a lunatic anyway. At least we can be strange and crazy together."

Ben swallowed thickly, his posture becoming nervous. "Brittany, I had figured that now was the best time to tell you. Although, it would have been more romantic if you were leaving me. A man, saying goodbye to the woman he loves."

Brittany looked at him then. Her gaze locked with his. She felt her heart pounding in her ears. Ben licked his lips and said quite clearly, "I love you."

Brittany grinned madly. "Finally!" She threw herself at him and captured his lips in a passion filled kiss. Ben chuckled and held her to him. Both were quite oblivious to the dead body.

Ben broke the kiss and allowed his lips to linger near hers. "You're going to want to duck," he murmured.

"What? Why?"

"Trust me," he replied. Ben pushed down on her head until she was kneeling behind the desk. He pressed a button then knelt beside her. The whole station started to shake.

Brittany looked at him in confusion. "You didn't accidentally push the self-destruct button did you?"

There was a loud explosion, and Brittany instinctively covered her head. The station quieted. Peering around, she saw that the tanning room had blown up. "You need a coat," Ben told her as he stood.

"Why?"

"Because we're going somewhere cold," he explained. Brittany rolled her eyes and stood. She walked over to the locker that held the coats and put one on. She laughed at herself when she saw how big it was on her. She was practically drowning in the coat.

Brittany walked back to him and found him holding a crowbar. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah. You?"

Ben looked down, a sadness creeping over his eyes. "As ready as I'll ever be."

She placed her hands in between his shoulder blades and gave him a comforting pat. Ben nodded and turned to the destroyed tanning room and entered it. Upon looking inside of it, Brittany saw a small cave had been revealed from the blast. She followed Ben inside of it, finding the temperature decreasing dramatically as they went further into the cave.

"Sheesh. Is this where you store all of the Dharma ice cream?" she teased. Ben stopped suddenly and kicked something. A fresh wave of cold air swept through them.

He started down the ladder, Brittany close behind. Suddenly, she felt the ladder break beneath them. Ben's arm caught on a nail as he fell, leaving him a gash. Brittany yelped and fell on top of him.

"Oh. Well, this is comfortable," she smiled, snuggling into his back, which she was sitting on.

"Brittany," he growled.

"Alright," she sighed and stood. "You're very comfy though."

Ben stood. "Remind me to send my application to a furniture store." HE gripped his arm, wincing slightly.

Brittany looked at him in concern. "Let me see," she said.

Ben shook his head. "There isn't any time. Hand me the crowbar, please." Brittany stooped and handed him the crowbar. "Thank you."

They both turned and saw a huge donkey wheel. "Whoa," Brittany finally said. Ben moved to it as if he were entranced.

He looked up at the ceiling. "I hope you're happy now, Jacob."

Brittany frowned and looked down in sympathy for him. Ben began pushing the wheel. Brittany moved to his side. "Ben, are you sure you want to do this? This is your home."

Ben stopped and looked at her. "I know," he breathed. "And it's the only way I can save it. I have to do this." HE gave her an agonized look, making her heart ache for his plight.

She moved out of the way and allowed him to continue to push. Seeing that he wasn't getting anywhere, she stood on the other side of him and helped push. Unfortunately, she slipped on some ice and hit her face on the handle bar.

Cursing, she stood and wiped some of the blood from her mouth.

"Are you alright?" Ben asked, obviously trying to hide the laughter.

Brittany glared. "Just peachy." She gripped the bar once more, and together, they finally started moving it. As they neared the other side of the wall, Brittany came to notice that Ben was crying. She moved her hand to cover his as they pushed. She realized then the seriousness of what was going on. They were possibly going to die. Her hand tightened on his as they pushed the final two steps. There was a bright light, then nothing.

The overwhelming feeling of heat and sun brought Brittany out of her state of sleep. Opening an eye, she saw the bright sun above her. She groaned and closed her eyes once more. Why did she feel like she had a hangover? She heard stirring next to her and opened her eyes once more.

Ben had woken. HE was gasping for air. HE quickly sat up and surveyed their surroundings. As Brittany slowly sat up, she saw him curl over and start to retch. "Ew," she said, her voice hoarse. Brittany licked her dry lips and looked around. Desert. They were in the middle of a bloody desert. In winter coats.

The sound of horses suddenly came upon them. "Go!" Ben hissed at her. "Hide!"

Brittany groaned and jumped to her feet. She took off to a rock nearby and hid behind it. Carefully peeking, she watched as two men rode up to Ben. She bit her lip when they pointed their guns at him. Yet, she could hear his voice from where she was and smirked. HE was using the Henry Gale ploy. Sure enough, they were unintimidated by him.

To Brittany's pleasure and surprise, Ben whipped open his plastic weapon and did a bunch of action-hero moves. Her jaw opened in shock when he killed one guy and knocked the other out. "Brittany! Assistance!" he called.

Brittany moved away from her rock and approached him. Her mouth was still open. "That was a complete turn on," she told him.

Ben smirked and pocketed his faithful weapon. "I thought you might enjoy that."

Brittany saw that he was trying to tie up his wound. She happily took off her coat and assisted him. "Well, we're alive," she smiled.

"Quite so, and in the Sahara Desert," he told her.

"Wonderful!" she said sarcastically. "Going somewhere cold my ass," Brittany muttered.

Ben's smirk grew and he leaned in to kiss her. Brittany grabbed his face and stopped him. "Not until you brush your teeth, mister." Ben looked a little put-out by that. "So, what's the plan?"

Ben walked over to a horse and easily mounted it. "In the works. My lady?" he asked, offering his hand.

Brittany smiled and took his hand. "Thank you, good knight." Ben helped her swing up on the saddle behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist. "I have a confession to make," she began. "I don't ride horses."

"I do," he replied. "Hold on tight," he told her. "Yah!" he said lazily, turning the horse and beginning their journey.

"What's our objective now?" she asked him as they rode.

Ben paused. "Widmore." And with that, they rode off into the sunset.

**CUE THE INDIANA JONES THEME**

**That really is written as a part of the chapter, but it doesn't seem fitting.**

**Also, this marks the end of the canon for LOST. Everything else was written our junior year (this year) and it was completed in January. This chapter marks the final time we see John Locke (although he does make an appearance in a oneshot). **

**Next chapter: We find out what happens to Tamara, and the story officially leaves canon. **

**Yes, there are lightsabers in this story! And they don't go away! So there!**

**Fact: I actually am really good at Risk. It's hard to beat me. I'm also good at Chess. So long as I'm not playing against my computer. It cheats.**


	23. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I don't know what I was on when I wrote this chapter, but it's mostly crack.

Chapter 23: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Tamara's chapter)

The first sense that returned to Tamara was smell. A scent of garlic, gunpowder, and severe BO hit her nose, and she nearly gagged. She opened her eyes to see what creature from hell could possibly produce such a stench Oh. It was Keamy. Martin Christopher Columbus Keamy, who just so happened to be _carrying her._

"You know," she slurred (that was another sensation- pain), "this would be quite erotic if you didn't smell quite so _rank_." And on that note, Keamy dropped her on her already aching head.

"Get up," Keamy growled.

Tamara scrambled to her feet dizzily. "Or are you gay?" Keamy didn't answer. "There's nothing wrong with that if you are- I knew this butler once, his name was Victor. He was gay. That must've been why Brittany didn't go through with the wedding," she mused in her confused state. "Personally, I would've dumped him when he continued saying 'ba-ba-boom' over and over again."

"Stop talking," Keamy ordered.

"Why? You're not the boss of me." Tamara's pout was reminiscent of a five year old

"I'll think you'll find that I am." Keamy prodded her with his ginoramous machine gun.

"Nuh-uh," Tamara whined, poking Keamy's very solid chest "That disputes the constitution of the U S of A."

"News flash, little girl," Tamara made a noise of protest, "we're not _in _America!"

"How do you know? For all your knowledge's worth, we could be in…in…Hawaii right now!"

"Tamara, just stop talking," Ben sighed from his position in front of her.

"You're not my mother, Benryjamin," Tamara snapped. "When your mother's here, you can tell her what to do." That statement made no sense, even to Tamara. She pursed her lips and tried to make sense of her thoughts, but thinking clearly made her head hurt, so she stopped trying so hard.

"My mother's dead," Ben said dispassionately.

"I know," Tamara replied, not sounding sorry at all, "I read about it in your diary."

Despite his manly man-ness, Keamy perked up. "Linus has a diary?"

"Not anymore- it was destroyed in the Vietnam War."

"Are you sure she's right in the head?" Keamy's right-hand man, Omar, asked quietly.

"She's _never _been right in the head," Ben sighed.

Tamara giggled insanely before slapping Keamy's arm. "Tag, you're it!" Before she could take off, Keamy had picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

"Or are you asexual?" Tamara continued a long forgotten conversation. "Like a cockroach." Suddenly, she burst out laughing. "Cockroach," she snorted, her laughter bordering on hysterical.

"Cockroach?" Ben questioned, humoring her.

"Have you even got one?" Tamara shot at him, her tone lucid(ish).

"What?"

Tamara pursed her lips and shook her head violently. Her addled brain wouldn't allow such impure thoughts to translate to plain words. Ben understood, however, and turned bright red.

"Hey, how'd he get the tool box?" Keamy demanded and placed Tamara back on her feet. It would have been a great opportunity for her to escape, but she cheerily skipped towards Keamy and a helicopter, chirping, "Following the leader, the leader, the leader. We're following the leader!"

Tamara skidded to a stop beside Keamy and a stoner. "Hello, Lawnmower Man with the disgustingly hairy chest," she greeted cheerily. Lawnmower Man frowned at her.

A rustling came from the bushes, and Kate ran out.

"Who are you?" Keamy demanded.

"My name's Kate. I'm one of the survivors of flight 815."

"Why are you running, Kate?"

"I'm being chased." Kate pointed at Ben. "By his people."

"It's rude to point, Kate," Tamara called from her position beneath the helicopter with Lawnmower Man.

Keamy signaled for some of his manly soldiers to check the area and blow the bejeezus out of anyone who looked too happy. Before long, the sound of gunshots broke free.

"That would be my ninjas at work," Ben muttered.

Tamara frowned in concentration. "How many Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are there?" she asked Lawnmower Man.

Lawnmower Man looked at Tamara suspiciously. Something in her expression obviously made him feel pity for her. "I'm Frank Lapidus."

"Tamara." She stuck her hand out and awkwardly shook Frank's.

"Shouldn't we be helping them?" Frank asked as they watched the culminating battle.

"Nah," Tamara replied.

It went all quiet. "Is it over?" Frank asked shakily.

"Well, time to get up," Tamara cheered perkily. Forgetting that she was under the helicopter, she rose to her feet swiftly and banged her head.

"Alright?" Frank asked, crawling out and helping Tamara safely to her feet.

"Peachy! Let's go!" Tamara exclaimed and jumped into the pilot's chair. "I'll drive!"

"Like hell you will," Frank grumbled. He dragged Tamara out and handcuffed her to the seat.

"Hey! You can't arrest me without reading me my rights!" Tamara exclaimed indignantly.

"I can if I'm a Ninja Turtle," Frank explained.

"Do turtles _have _chest hair?" Tamara asked, distracted (once again).

"They do if they're teenage," Frank said, his tone condescending.

"Ah," Tamara sighed. This made perfect sense. "Puberty."

"Hence the mutants," Frank concluded.

They fell silent again. Frank wondered when more people would show up, and Tamara wondered how six inch tall turtles could fight crime. Perhaps they were snapping turtles? That would explain the ability to talk.

Her deep thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Sayid and Kate, shortly followed by Sawyer, Hurley, and Jack. Kate went to go hit on Jack, Sayid and Frank did techno-geek things, Hurley did comic relief things, and Sawyer did handcuff removal things.

"Houdini never used a hacksaw," Tamara informed Sawyer somberly.

"Houdini's dead," Sawyer replied, amused.

"Guess how he died," Tamara said.

"He sawed himself in half?" Sawyer guessed.

"Don't be stupid," Tamara snorted. "He was murdered by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!"

Sawyer stared at her. And stared. And stared some more. "You've been watching too much T.V since we got to New Otherton," he declared finally.

"It's called Otherville," Tamara corrected. "And the only things that are ever on the T.V is _Secret Diary of a Call Girl _reruns, _Dead Man, _and reruns of that stupid show _Sin City_, all of which involve naked people. Mikhail didn't have _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ when I raided his DVD collection."

"Naked women?" Sawyer mused. "_Sin City_…is that the one that's in black and white?"

"No, that's the one where people do nothing but have sex for a half hour."

"And _Secret Diary of a Call Girl…_?" Sawyer prompted.

"Never saw it. I have no interest in naked women- even if it is Rose Tyler."

"Who?"

"Nevermind."

"Alright!" Frank suddenly cheered, and Tamara realized that everybody had boarded the chopper whilst she had been talking to Sawyer about sex.

They lifted into the air. "Shouldn't we close the doors?" Tamara shouted above the noise.

Kate gave Tamara an irritated look, and Frank twirled his finger by his ear and looked at Sayid, who nodded in agreement.

"Seriously," Tamara argued, "if I wanted to throw Kate out of the helicopter, then nothing could stop me!"

"I'd fight you tooth and nail, and I'd win," Kate said, her tone bored.

"Bite me," Tamara replied maturely.

They were over the water when an alarming alarm began to beep alarmingly. Frank started shouting about fuel. "Check outside- see if you see anything."

Everyone stuck their heads outside the helicopter. "I spy with my little eye…the ocean," Tamara stated.

"We have a fuel leak!" Sayid cried. "A bullet must have pierced the tank!"

"Quick, someone stick their finger in the hole!" Tamara suggested. Frank said something about lightening the load. "Oh, sure, throw away everything of importance," Tamara grumbled.

"It's better than throwing ourselves overboard," Frank told her.

"Well, Hurley, Sayid, Sawyer, you, and I are too important, obviously," Tamara stated, "but we can afford to lose Jack and Kate."

Jack and Kate gave Tamara a look that clearly said, _Go die. _Tamara stuck her tongue out at them.

"Is that enough? Can we make it?" Jack asked Frank.

"I'd feel a hell of a lot better if we were a few hundred pounds lighter," Frank yelled back.

Tamara _knew _that she wasn't the only one in the helicopter that was thinking of Hurley. Judging by the look on his face, even Hurley was thinking of Hurley. Sawyer touched her shoulder. When she looked at him, he whispered in her ear, "Two things, I have a daughter named Clementine Philips. Find her. Second, look like what I've told you has touched you deeply; I want to make Kate jealous."

"Why are you telling me this?" Tamar asked, using a normal tone of voice and putting her acting skills to good use.

Sawyer's response was a very steamy, not-Kate-worthy kiss. Then, he jumped ship. Or, maybe, helicopter.

"What did he say to you?" Kate asked jealously.

Tamara smirked. The freighter magically came into view. Right after Sawyer had jumped ship- helicopter. Imagine that!

On the deck, Desmond was frantically waving his arms and shouting stuff.

"Don't land on him!" Tamara exclaimed.

"Did he say there's a bomb?" Jack yelled right into Tamara's ear.

"No, dude. He said that I'm 'da bomb!'" Hurley exclaimed.

"He's talking about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!" Tamara replied.

"Not again," Frank sighed as he landed the helicopter (not on Desmond).

"You can't land here!" Desmond was demanding. Kate and Sun went off looking for Jin, Desmond, Sayid, and Frank did smart engineering things, Jack went looking for Kate, and Tamara and Hurley sat back and watched everyone work.

Eventually, they were ready to take off. Desmond, Sayid, Hurley, Jack, Kate, Sun, Aaron, Frank, and Tamara were on board, but Jin wasn't.

"Where's Jin?!" Sun exclaimed. Jin came running just as the helicopter lifted off. The scene was very hectic. Everyone was yelling something except for Hurley, because he was too passive, and Aaron, because he was the world's best behaved baby. All too soon, the freighter exploded. Sun screamed hysterically. Tears were pouring down her face, which was contorted in pain. Tamara ducked her head between her knees and covered her ears with her hands.

They were returning to the island. When it was within sight, a bright light filled the sky. Everyone closed their eyes against the glare, and they opened their eyes, only to find the island was…gone! Tamara looked around suspiciously and shut her eyes tightly. She reopened them. The island was still gone.

"I can't see the island!" Frank panicked.

"There's another, smaller island close by that they took us to," Jack yelled.

"I've got news for you Doc-" Tamara snorted, "there's no land anywhere!" The helicopter crashed with a splash. Tamara was left to wonder why they didn't jump out _before _they crashed.

Then, she was wondering why nobody was yelling her name or Desmond's in a panic. She swam to the raft, wondering at the tire-like material that the raft was made of.

Suddenly, Frank remembered Desmond. "Where's Desmond?" he yelled.

Desmond, it seemed, was trying to be a fish. Frank hauled him onto the raft. Desmond wasn't wearing shoes. As Jack began Charlie Pace Resuscitation techniques (CPR), Tamara grumbled, "Michelangelo can do better." Frank stared at her. And stared. And stared some more. Only when Desmond woke with a cough did Frank look away briefly before returning his gaze to Tamara.

Coughing awkwardly, Tamara leaned against Desmond and said, "So…now what?"

* * *

Hours later, "now what?" was identified. They were sitting on the raft…still. It was night.

"We're just…floating," Tamara mumbled sleepily.

"I got new shoes," Desmond mumbled.

"Where?" Tamara asked curiously, noting that Desmond did indeed have new shoes.

"The Atlantis store," Desmond's tone was sarcastic.

"'Let's get off the island' he says. 'We'll be saved' he says. 'The others are stupid,' he says," Tamara mocked Jack cruelly.

He threw a shoe at her. Tamara caught the shoe and tossed it overboard. Panicking, Jack leapt overboard after it, and his beer belly caught on the raft and tipped it over. Beneath the raft, the group could hear Jack knocking on the raft.

"Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate!!!!" he hollered.

"Jack's an idiot," Tamara whispered. The group nodded in fervent agreement.

"Tip the raft back up before Aaron drowns," Sun said hoarsely.

They did so and clambered back into the raft. A searchlight was blazing in their faces.

"Dude, are we being rescued?" Hurley asked.

"Looks like your Ninja Turtles paid us off," Frank said to Tamara, who beamed proudly.

The boat (the Searcher) pulled up to them. Before they were totally within earshot, Jack went off on a tangent on how they had to lie.

The look on Kate's face clearly said that she was against lying. Murdering, she was fine with, but _lying…_ However, Jack got what Jack wanted. A surprise was awaiting Tamara and Desmond aboard the Searcher.

"Tamara!" The blonde woman yelled, confused.

"Penny?!" Tamara's voice was confuzzled.

"Penny?" Desmond was left to wonder what the hell was going on. He followed Tamara up the ladder. Tamara and Penny embraced. Suddenly, Tamara remembered Desmond's (very sexy) existence.

"Oh! Penny, this is Desmond Hume. Des, this is the _real _Penelope Widmore. She allowed me to use her identity when I was hiding from the Feds with Brittany."

Desmond smiled at Penny politely. "So, is it just you two that needed saving?"

Tamara shook her head. "No, there's about six or seven more. I wonder what's taking so long…"

A loud splash sounded from the direction of the raft. The group rushed to the edge of the boat and saw Hurley floundering in the water. The rope ladder was broken. "Dude! Help!" Hurley cried.

"We should help him," Penny mumbled.

"Yeah, we should," Tamara agreed. Nobody moved.

A couple of Penny's lackeys came running over and threw a rope overboard. The survivors (and Frank) climbed onto the boat.

Tamara introduced Penny to everyone, and when Jack appeared (last, and quite possibly least), he said, "It's nice to meet you. But we need to talk." Jack Shephard, always the wet blanket.

* * *

_One Week Later_

The plan was in place. With the help of Penelope, they were sending the survivors of Oceanic 815 to a small island, all prepared with some silly story that Tamara didn't think viable. Meanwhile, Frank was going into hiding with Penny, and they were dropping Tamara and Desmond off in London to start a new life.

The boat docked at some harbor that Tamara didn't know the name of. Desmond got off and stumbled around a bit while he tried to get his "land legs." Tamara stayed to have a last minute chat with Penny.

"You do know that your father is the man we're all running from?" Tamara queried.

"He is rather scary," Penelope joked. More seriously, she said, "He won't find you. I'll make sure of it."

"Have I ever mentioned how totally awesome you are?" Tamara asked, smiling.

"Don't worry. You still owe me for that favor from ten years ago," Penny grinned. "I'll be reaping the reaping the rewards."

"Benjamin Linus's daughter was killed by a man who works for your father," Tamara said seriously. "That may save your life."

Penny grinned. "You still owe me for ten years ago."

"Damn," Tamara muttered. "We should get going." She indicated Desmond. "I'll keep in touch."

The two women embraced. "Tell Brittany I said hi," Penelope said as they parted.

Halfway down the ramp, Tamara turned. "What makes you thinks she's off the island?"

"My father's been looking for that island for a long time. He knows a lot of its secrets. Those that move the island can never go back."

Tamara nodded thoughtfully. That might be a bit of useful information for later on. Giving Penny one last nod, she returned her attention to Desmond. He reached for her hand, and Tamara took it happily. "What now?" she asked in a relaxed tone as they began to make their way down the dock.

"Now," Desmond sighed, "we find someplace to live."

"That reminds me," Tamara said, halting their progress and pulling out the wallet Penny had given to her. In the wallet was an adequate amount of British money, some ID for both herself and Desmond, and a small, white card. "Our address." Tamara flashed the card.

"Why can't we just use your old flat?" Desmond asked curiously.

"Um, because she probably doesn't own it anymore," Tamara drawled.

"Oh." Desmond began leading the way to the nearest taxi. Climbing in, Desmond gave the taxi driver their new address. On the trip over, it began to pour.

"Why would Penny give us an address in the middle of the city when we're trying to hide?" Desmond mused.

"London's a big place. No one'll find us," Tamara answered as the taxi pulled up outside their new home. She paid the taxi driver and stepped onto the sidewalk.

"Not as fancy as my last place. Still, it'll do."

There were necessities in the bathroom and clothes in the wardrobe. Tamara, being a female, called the bathroom first. She sunk into the bath and savored the warmth and the feeling of being clean. Disgustingly enough, Tamara had still been wearing her brown bikini underneath her clothes. She decided that she was going to burn it the first chance she got.

Tamara got out of the bath, dried her hair, and stepped into a bathrobe. In the living room area, Desmond was watching the T.V.

"Is there any hot water left?" he asked sarcastically.

"Maybe," Tamara said. "You smell. I'm going to need to disinfect the couch while you're showering."

Desmond made a face and moved to the shower. Tamara mused that at least Desmond had changed out of the blue shirt. Tamara moved into the kitchen to make a pot of tea. Thankfully, the cupboards were well stocked.

She popped a couple of slices of bread into the toaster and boosted herself onto the countertop.

The kettle boiled, and Tamara poured the tea into a mug and proceeded to attack it with milk and sugar. She mused that if Brittany was there, they'd be having pancakes right now.

Desmond emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a robe. "Any of that for me?" He gestured to the kettle.

Tamara handed him a mug and jumped as the toaster popped the toast into her hand.

"It feels weird, doesn't it?" Tamara asked. "I mean, I have no idea what I'm going to do!"

"I guess," Desmond breathed, blowing on his tea, "we just get jobs, go on with our lives. Same as the rest of the world."

Tamara made a noise of discontent. "So, you and me, same old life? No more _Gilligan's Island_?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of _Flight 29 Down_," Desmond teased.

"Bite your tongue!" Tamara gasped in horror.

Desmond grinned and kissed Tamara softly. Tamara, still seated on counter, wrapped her legs around his waist and raised her hands to his shoulders. Desmond placed his hands on the small of her back. Tamara raised her hands and fisted her fingers in his reddish brown hair.

"I'm so glad you shaved," she mumbled against his lips.

"Me, too," Desmond agreed, still kissing her. "Unfortunately, I no longer have anything to stroke thoughtfully."

"I can think of something else you can stroke instead." Tamara pulled away and rested her forehead against Desmond's. "Or," she continued saucily, "I can do it for you."

Desmond trailed kisses along Tamara's jawline, finally settling on her neck. "I've forgotten you could be such a minx."

Tamara gasped, partly in mock horror, and partly because of what Desmond was doing to her. "How could you? Such a crime!"

"It has been ten years. It's good to know you haven't changed in that particular aspect."

Desmond lifted Tamara from the counter, her legs still wrapped around his waist. Tamara had a pretty good idea where they were heading.

She fumbled with the doorknob behind her, never lifting her lips from Desmond's. Desmond closed the door of the bedroom, and they tumbled to the bed.

* * *

Tamara blinked awake, feeling comfortable and still pleasantly drowsy. Desmond was absently drawing patterns on her bare back.

"That tickles," she giggled.

"I was just thinking," Desmond said, his mouth somewhere around her hair. "You should go down to the job centre today."

"Oh, that's nice. So, you'll just be the housemaid?" Tamara asked, slightly insulted.

"I'm doing something for Ms Widmore."

"That's not fair!" Tamara pouted. Desmond stared at her. "This is not proper pillow talk!" she moaned.

"What makes you say that?" Desmond asked, confused.

"You don't discuss work when you're in bed with your significant other!"

"Why not?!"

"Because," Tamara scoffed, "it's not romantic! At this very moment, instead of telling me to work, you should be declaring your undying love to me."

"At this very moment?" Desmond choked in amusement.

Tamara sighed and reached onto the nightstand. A book came into her hands (_Waise Heill_), and she opened it to the front cover. "See? Says here: Desmond declares his undying love to Tamara."

Desmond peered closely at the summary. "I see 'Brom declares his undying love to Brittay,' but no mention of Desmond or Tamara."

"It's called reading between the lines," Tamara snorted.

"You are utterly ridiculous," Desmond decided.

"But you love me anyway," Tamara grinned.

"That still won't get you out of a job."

"Hmph."

Hours later, Tamara was a proud employee at Henriks department store, newly rebuilt after the explosion two years ago. Her boss, a pervy old man named Humberto, wanted her to start right away. Personally, Tamara thought that the man wanted another of the female species to be near him.

Over the days, Tamara became reacquainted with London. One day, Tamara was picking up some discarded lingerie items when a voice spoke from behind her.

"Excuse me, Miss." Tamara turned with a false smile, but it fell in shock when she saw who had spoken. His hair was combed, his scars were healed, and he dressed like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but it was, unmistakably, Benjamin Linus.

They stared at one another in something akin to horror before groaning, at the same time, "Not you!"

Tamara's boss chose that moment to casually stroll by and "surreptitiously" cop a feel. She winced. Ben's look of horror changed to one of amusement. It didn't last long, however, when Tamara spoke. "So, Benryjamin, why are you in the lingerie aisle of Henricks?"

Ben was quick on his feet. "I could ask you the same thing."

"I work here," Tamara snapped.

"Never coming here again," Ben muttered to himself.

"Which returns us the why _you _are here."

To her surprise, Ben turned tomato red. "I was- mrhlbj…"

Tamara grinned evilly. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

"I'm buying Brittany some lingerie, alright!"

Tamara burst out laughing, hands on her knees. "And you want me to help you ?!" She cackled wildly. "That is _priceless_! So priceless, it should be a Mastercard commercial!"

"I didn't want _your _help in particular," Ben mumbled, trying to save face because Tamara's hysterical laughter was getting her noticed.

"So, you and Brittany are living in London now?" Tamara asked.

"I'm so not telling you!" Ben growled.

"Me, too!" Tamara squealed. "We should meet up someday!"

"Over my dead body!" Ben exclaimed.

"Don't tempt me," Tamara sighed.

"Actually," Ben suddenly mused, his tone thoughtful, "do you want to meet for lunch today? I'd like to talk to you about a job."

Tamara blinked in surprise at the topic change. "Sure. I get off in an hour. Can you wait?"

* * *

Tamara and Ben had lunch at a local chippie. "I need someone to run dangerous errands for me, and, despite the fact that you really irritate me, I can trust you to do the job efficiently."

Tamara smirked. "So, are you saying you trust me more than Brittany?" Oh, she was _so _telling Brittany!

"No." Oh. "I just don't care if you die."

Tamara scowled. "I hate you, Ben."

"The feeling is mutual. But, would you like to become a spy for the Benjamin Linus Project?"

"_The Benjamin Linus Project_?!" Tamara screeched.

"Keep your voice down!" Ben hissed.

"I would love to become a spy for the BLP," Tamara said. They shook on it, like the mature professionals they were.

"One more thing: don't tell anybody. I will be forced to kill them."

Tamara's first thought was that it would be hard to keep such a secret from Desmond. Her second thought was: "Can I tell Kate?"

Ben chuckled. "Fine. Tell Kate. Tell Jack, too."

Tamara grinned evilly.

Two days later, Tamara and Desmond were eating dinner on the rooftop of their flat.

"Penelope gave me a present for helping her out," Desmond told her.

"Did she?" Tamara asked curiously.

Desmond pulled out a ginormous bottle of Mccutcheon. Tamara snorted. "Let's have it, then," she grinned.

Desmond poured two shots, and they clinked their glasses together. "To your new job."

Tamara grinned. She had told Desmond that she had gotten a new job as a part time nurse in a hospital.

"I have my first medical conference tomorrow," Tamara reminded him.

"Which is why I'm doing this now, before you go to a medical conference and elope with a handsome doctor named Jackson Shephard."

Tamara frowned at him. "That is..disgusting."

Desmond grinned rakishly. He pulled a small box from a pocket. Tamara gaped at him. Desmond got down on one knee and popped open the box. Inside was a ring with a small diamond.

"Will you marry me?" The query was soft, full of fear, excitement, and love.

Tamara nodded with tears in her eyes. "Yes."

"Seriously?"

Tamara raised an eyebrow. "Um, yeah?"

"Well, that's alright, then!" Tamara laughed as Desmond slid the ring on her finger.

* * *

Tamara met Ben in the basement of the hospital.

"I'd like you to meet your new partner," Ben began without preamble.

Tamara scowled. "Oh, it's nice to see you, too! I've been fine, thanks for asking! Yes, I did in fact get engaged to the love of my life last night. I am sorry; I know you were hoping. No, I haven't been hunted down by Widmore yet, but thanks for the concern."

Ben was quite used to these outbursts and knew that the best thing to do would be to wait her out. When she paused for breath, he continued. "Meet your new partner, Sayid Jarrah."

"But…I've already met him," Tamara protested as Sayid walked out of the shadows.

"It is good to see you again," Sayid said.

"Sayid, you're Pantene Perfect!" Tamara exclaimed.

"Sayid will be going on these missions with you."

"I don't need a babysitter," Tamara scoffed.

Ben ignored her. To Sayid, he said, "I've got two first class plane tickets to Oahu. Widmore's got a team there. I believe it's the team that planted the fake Oceanic flight."

Despite herself, Tamara piped up. "I thought the plane was found just off the coast of Bali? Why wouldn't Widmore use a team in Fiji or something?"

Ben shrugged. "Charles Widmore isn't known for his rationality."

Tamara smiled knowingly. "Don't I know it?"

Sayid gave her a strange look. "We should get going." He put his hand on her shoulder.

"Quite right," Ben agreed. "Kill the entire team, but keep one for questioning."

"Ben," Tamara started as they made to leave, "you know that I'm not the killing type. Why me? Why not someone that's…not me? Someone that's…someone else?"

Ben just smiled at her. "I'll see you when you get back"

"Tell Brittany I said 'yo.'"

"Note to self: tell Brittany her crazy friend said 'yo,'" Ben muttered.

Tamara grinned widely. "Now you're getting' it!"

She darted after Sayid's retreating form.

"Getting what?" Ben muttered to himself. He shrugged and left the basement.

"So, Sayid, why is your hair so shiny?" Tamara asked after another awkward silence. Sayid, it turned out, was even more anti-social than he had been on the island. In answer to her question, Sayid just stared at her. Tamara cleared her throat awkwardly. "Um, what brings you to this neck of the woods?" Sayid didn't say anything. "Do you want me to shut up?" Sayid nodded. "Okay, then."

Sayid handed her a passport. Tamara opened it and perused it. "Kate Jones?!" She demanded. "Seriously? Why do I have to be Kate? You be Kate!"

Sayid glared at her. "No. I'm Doctor Mohinder Suresh, and you're my associate, Kate Jones."

Tamara frowned as they entered the airport. "Why do you get to be the smart guy?"

Sayid looked at her. "Because I _am _the smart guy!"

They stepped up to the counter, and the Oceanic lady peered closely at Sayid.

Tamara stared at them both. "Does he have something on his face?" she asked curiously.

The Oceanic lady looked from Sayid quickly. "Sorry. Here you go, love," she said to Sayid. "Good luck on your trip!"

"Thank you," Sayid replied automatically.

Tamara followed Sayid to the café. "So, Sayid, why are you working for a man who virtually made your life a living hell?"

"Because Widmore made my life worse," Sayid told her. "Why are you?"

"Because Desmond is doing super secret stuff, and I was totally jealous."

Sayid sighed at his friend's stupidity.

Their plane touched down in Oahu. "Right, your job is simple," Sayid instructed as they lurked in the bushes by the facility that they were to break in to. "I'll take care of the guars. All you need to worry about is shutting down their surveillance."

"But-," Tamara began.

"No arguments!" Sayid hissed.

Tamara scowled. "And no pouting!"

Tamara forced her face into a cheery grin. "And no being happy!"

"Jeez, take away my free will, why don't you?" Tamara grumbled.

"No grousing!"

"Grousing?" Tamara snorted. "Is that even a word?"

"No making fun of my English!"

"Who's a tyrant? Sayid's a tyrant!" Tamara laughed.

"No-,"

"Oh, shut up!"

* * *

Tamara peeked around a dark corner, a spy theme running through her head. She grinned. She couldn't wait to tell Brittany. She would be _sooo _insanely jealous!

No one was in the corridor, and Tamara tip-toed down the hall, not looking suspicious _at all_!

In the control room, one person was sipping a coffee. Tamara took him out with a well placed chair.

"Okay, you're clear," she said to Sayid with her super special comm. unit.

"You're not as useless as I thought," Sayid's voice rang in her ear.

Tamara beamed. "I know, isn't it brilliant?" Her face fell. "Oh, wait. That wasn't a compliment, was it?"

Sayid's answer was a laugh. "Meet me at the extraction point."

Tamara left the control base before the building blew to smithereens.

* * *

"Good work," Ben greeted the two of them as they stepped into the hospital basement.

Tamara bowed. "Please, Ben, hold your applause."

Sayid and Ben just looked at her. "Did he give the location of his daughter?"

"Yes. She's in Taipei, but intelligence suggests she may be gone before too long."

Tamara raised her hand. "Can I go now?"

Ben nodded. "Be prepared to leave again."

"Missions are fun!" Tamara grinned as she stepped onto the streets of London. This was one of those rare days when there was sunshine, and she decided she would savor it and walk home. Halfway there, however, she spotted something that caught her eye.

The very reason she was here in the first place.

"Oh, my god," she breathed.

IHOP.

"IHOP, here I come!"

And she barged in.

She had barely had time to wonder at its vast interior when she heard something outside.

"IHOP, here I come!"

And the door banged open.

Tamara swung around.

And gasped.

It was Brittany. Brittany and-

Oh. Ew. Brittany and _Wilbur_.

"Tamara!!!!" Brittany exclaimed. The two young women embraced.

"You…don't look surprised to see me," Brittany grumbled. "Why aren't you surprised? Be surprised!" Brittany demanded.

"Ben didn't tell you?" Tamara asked.

"Ben tells me everything," Brittany scoffed.

"Then he told you that he met me and that I've been working undercover with him?"

"I must have been sleeping…or dead," Brittany sniffed.

Tamara laughed. "Why's he with you?" She indicated Wilbur.

Brittany sighed. "It's a long story."

Tamara indicated a table. "Shall we?"

Brittany and Wilbur made for the booth. Tamara grasped Wilbur's arm. "Your friend can go outside."

"What's wrong with Wilbur?" Brittany asked, although, in truth, she didn't really care.

"I haven't forgotten that he chased me up a tree!"

"Wilbur." Brittany pointed to the door.

Wilbur sulked his way outside.

"I hope he doesn't get raped," Brittany muttered.

They sat down. After they ordered, Tamara energetically flashed her left hand in Brittany's face.

"Hey! Don't flip me off!" Brittany exclaimed.

"Look look look!" Tamara wiggled her ring finger.

"Oh! You got a ring from one of those gumball machines!"

Tamara groaned. "No! I'm engaged!"

"…to who?" Brittany asked.

"Desmond!"

"Oh! That's so awesome! When did that happen?" Brittany demanded.

"Last week!" Tamara cried.

"Dang it! I wanted to be there! At least tell me there was sex?" Brittany queried.

"Lots!" Tamara enthused.

Brittany seemed to lose interest. "So, where are you living now?"

"Right here in the city. You?"

"Same here! We should get together and have a tea part!"

Tamara frowned. "I said something like that to Ben. He didn't seem too keen on the idea."

"Well, let's do all of our catching up here, since my boyfriend seems to be an egotistical, possessive maniac," Brittany said.

So Tamara told Brittany everything that had happened. She told her about Frank and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Brittany didn't know how many there were, either). She told her about Sawyer's sacrifice and the task he had given to her. The task that she had completely forgotten about. Oops.

Tamara then continued to talk about all that had occurred on the freighter and about their eventual rescue by Penelope Widmore ("Penny?! No way! How is she?" Brittany asked curiously). Tamara explained about having to work at Henriks and meeting Ben in the lingerie section ("I was _wondering _why he had a flush on his face a couple of weeks ago! He seemed _so _uncomfortable!").

Tamara finished with the tale of her recent trip with Sayid. When she was done, she paused to take a sip of her coffee before speaking again.

"Your turn. What have you been up to?"

Brittany took a deep breath and began.

**Three more chapters left!**

**Next chapter: Brittany tells her story, and our heroes begin the return journey to the island. Most importantly, however, Brittany meets Desmond!**


	24. Pranks and Plans

**Chapter 24: Pranks and Plans**

"Wait. Why are you wearing a scarf?" Brittany asked, looking at him. "It's like, a million degrees outside." She looked at her deranged boyfriend speculatively.

Ben tugged on his scarf self-consciously. "I don't want my neck to get sunburned."

"And you couldn't just put on lotion?"

Ben gave her a suggestive smirk. "Would you lather me up?"

Brittany felt a thrill of desire shoot through her. After they had arrived in Iraq, they had spent their first day and night locked in the bedroom. Suffice to say their lust for one another had increased afterwards.

"No," Brittany warned him, holding her finger up. "No tempting."

Ben's smirk widened and he took a step closer. "No," she warned again. "Behave. You have a mission, remember? We already delayed ourselves a day."

Ben looked at her innocently. "I was merely doing what I was told. You were the one moaning out orders."

Brittany turned a dark red and ducked her head. Ben chuckled and closed the distance between them. "I like making you blush," he murmured, embracing her. Brittany buried her face in his chest. Taking in his completely unique scent, she was still surprised to find that he still smelled like the island. The clean, fresh, tropical smell of the island. A small pang of sorrow hit her. They could never go back. Ben was hurting even more. She could see that he tried to hide it, but it was there. It especially showed in the mornings. When he thought she was still sleeping, she would hear the softest of a sigh. Yet, it was the most depressing sigh she had ever heard.

Brittany could feel it now. A searching for solace in her arms. Instinctively, she held him tighter and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Ben leaned against her more.

"Well, you look sexy in the scarf," she told him.

"Thank you. I found myself quite dashing as well," Ben murmured in a light tone.

Brittany breathed a laugh and released him. "Stop stalling and go find him." She playfully punched his shoulder.

"I'm I come back battered and bloodied, you'll know I found him," Ben smirked. He grabbed a large camera and slung it over his neck. "Would you hand me my weapon, please?" he asked, grabbing the camera bag and checking the lenses.

Brittany moved to the nightstand beside the bed and pulled out his collapsible baton out of the drawer. They had discovered new ways of using that weapon. Some were very torturous, for Brittany anyway. Taking it in hand, she passed it over to him, who pocketed it. He nodded his thanks. "Make sure you lock the door," he reminded her.

Brittany rolled her eyes and steered him out of the room.

"You've told me about fifty times already. The sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back." He opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. Brittany turned him around and placed her hands on his shoulders. "And?" she drawled.

Ben smiled his knowing smile and played along. "And?"

Brittany's smile grew. "Be careful." She kissed him lightly on the lips and let her hands slip down from his shoulders. A small squeak left her lips when she suddenly felt his hands grip her waist and press her against him. She felt a rumble in his chest followed by a chuckle.

"Ben," she breathed in protest. Ben pulled away softly and moved his lips to her ear.

"I don't have to be careful," he whispered. He pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, then slipped away from her gracefully.

Brittany shook her head as he left. Him and his plans. Turning on her heel, she reentered the room and locked the door behind her. For the first thirty minutes, she cleaned. Afterwards, she was out of her mind bored.

She looked out the window forlornly. A few people scurried in the alley below, their heads covered with turbans. Heaving a sigh, she closed the curtain and moved further into the room. This was how it had always gone; she would stay at home and worry and be bored to tears while Ben had all of the fun. Did she dare go against his orders and leave the room? Hell yeah she did!

Grabbing her gun that Ben had bought her, she tucked it into her pants and covered the top with her shirt. She grabbed a jacket, sunglasses, and a hat and put them on. Moving to the door, she opened it and peeked outside. Clear.

Casually, she left the room and found herself in the lobby. Other hotel guests were meeting up with friends and family. They spoke a language that Brittany could only hope of learning.

"Hello, Mrs. Moriarty," the man behind the counter greeted her. He was Indian, not Iraqi.

Brittany grinned when she saw him. "Hey, Hrundi!" She moved to the counter and leaned against it. Her alias was Irene Moriarty, wife of Dean Moriarty. Brittany had given Ben much trouble with his choice of name.

"And what are you up to on this glorious morning?" Hrundi asked in his awesome Indian accent.

"I don't really know. I think I'm going to wander around," Brittany shrugged.

Hrundi thought for a moment. "The market is a good place for souvenirs. Street performers are something to observe there."

"Ooh, street performers!" Brittany exclaimed. "Thanks, Hrundi." Hrundi bowed his head to her. As he turned away, Brittany cried out, "Wait! You forgot to say it!"

Hrundi fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Birdy num-nums." Brittany trilled a laugh and skipped off. When she entered the dusty streets, her alert was instantly up. It wasn't only the threat of Widmore that she had to watch out for, but the common, everyday terrorists as well. A few American soldiers marched by, giving her strange looks as they passed. Brittany walked down the streets until she reached the market.

It was noisy and crazy here. Kids ran around playing soccer. Merchants shouted at customers to buy their products. Music was played by musicians while dancers danced along the streets. Brittany found herself being pulled into the busy crowd. She managed to fight her way to a cart where necklaces were being sold. Ben had given her a quick lesson on how to use the local currency. She bought a wooden necklace with a strange design on it that she thought looked cool.

Eating some random bread-food, Brittany watched a group of belly dancers. They finished with a dramatic hip-rock. Brittany clapped along with the rest of the crowd before throwing a few coins into their basket.

As she sat up, she noticed a man looking at her. Directly at her. Brittany frowned and stared at the man. The man realized she was staring back at him and quickly dropped his gaze. She couldn't tell who it was with the great turban he wore. Then, he reached up for his turban and took it off. Brittany gasped. It was Wilbur!

Just as soon as she saw his face, he shot her a grin and ran off. Brittany rushed after him. She had to knock a few people out of her way in order to keep him in sight. At last, she ended up in an alley. He wasn't there. Brittany looked around in confusion. Where had he gone?

Hearing a step behind her, she whirled around.

Wilbur stepped into the alleyway. How had he gotten behind her? "Wilbur? What are you doing here?" Brittany questioned.

Wilbur stepped closer. "Hello, Brittany. I missed you. The island wasn't the same without you."

"What? You mean without me ordering you around like a slave?" Brittany smirked.

Wilbur nodded eagerly. "I live to serve you, Master!"

Brittany cringed slightly. "That's slightly creepy, Wilbur!"

"But it's true! Without a master, I am nothing. So I found a new one," Wilbur told her.

"Oh? Who?" Brittany inquired.

"Me," came a voice behind her. Brittany whirled around again. What was with the dramatic entries from behind? Her eyes widened when she saw none other than John Locke!

"_John_?!" Brittany exclaimed. "How? Why? Aren't you supposed to be ruling a certain island at the moment?"

John shushed her. "Not so loud. It's Jeremy now. Jeremy Bentham."

Brittany blinked. "well, it's good to know Ben isn't the only one who picks lame aliases. What are you doing here?"

John or Jeremy looked around suspiciously. "Not here. Meet me at midnight in that building." He pointed to the building across from them.

"Why midnight?" Brittany asked in confusion.

John looked perplexed for a moment. "er…because people in the movies always meet at midnight."

Brittany rolled her eyes. Yup, still a dunce. "Fine, see you then. No tricks," she warned.

John held up his hands. "I only want to talk." Brittany turned to leave. He suddenly called to her, "and don't bring Ben." She faltered, then gave a single nod. Puzzled over John's intentions, she headed back for the hotel.

By the time she returned to the hotel, Ben was back. The moment she opened the door, he was grabbing and caressing her face. Brittany was startled and nearly pushed him away before she realized who it was.

"Where were you? I told you not to leave the room," Ben scolded her frantically. "I thought that they had found us. That they had taken you." Brittany checked his face for expressions. He was panicked and angry. Not exactly the greatest combination for a conversation.

"Calm down, Ben," she soothed him. Brittany unlatched herself from him and moved past him. "I was bored, so I left and went down to the market below. Look, I bought a necklace!" She attempted to cheer him up by showing him her necklace. Ben was unmoved. His panic had subsided. Only anger was left.

Brittany squared her shoulders. "I can't stay locked in here like a prisoner!" she told him. "I understand you're trying to protect me, but I can take care of you myself." Ben looked at her skeptically. She frowned. "I can!" The crease between his brows deepened. Brittany grew more agitated. "I could beat you up," she challenged.

"Many people can beat me up. I choose whether to pay the attack back or not," Ben told her calmly. He stepped nearer to her. "Widmore knows my weakness now. He knows that physical pain doesn't sway me. However, if he were to hurt someone I cared for," he placed his hand on her cheek, "then he knows that I would do anything I could to save them." Alex's face flashed in her mind, but she remained silent.

"So, emotional pain is your weakness?" she smirked.

Ben caught her smirk and copied it with his own. "You would know, dear."

"Hmm, I would indeed," Brittany purred coyly. She pulled on his jacket toward the bed. "How was your meeting with Sayid?"

"Perfect. He thinks that he caught me red-handed on taking pictures of him," Ben smiled.

"You know, that sounds slightly creepy," Brittany pointed out.

Ben shrugged. "All in a day's work. With the option of vengeance to him, he'll take it gladly. Once he's gotten a taste, he won't want to stop."

"And you'll have your very own assassin," Brittany said proudly.

"Yes….the only thing I'm worried about is his heart. Sayid tends to forget who he is loyal to at times," Ben frowned.

"Well," Brittany moved her hands to his belt, "you'll just have to remind him every now and then." Their conversation ended there.

With Ben in an exhausted sleep, Brittany finished putting her last shoe on. Midnight. Ugh, there went her beauty sleep. Checking that she was armed, she pressed a soft kiss to her lover's forehead and left the room.

The night was eerily silent and empty. With the exception of a few cats, nothing was out in the streets except for her. Her hand stayed close to her gun at all times. At long last, she reached the building John had indicated earlier. There was a single candle illuminated in the top window.

Brittany tip-toed into the living room, her senses on high alert. A soft padding on the floor above caught her attention. The building was vacant and desolate. Just like any other typical warehouse building where secret meetings were held. Once she reached the top of the stairs, she pushed the door open and stepped into the room. Her suspicion ended when she found the source of the soft padding. Wilbur was dancing the waltz around the room. Now that she noticed, soft waltz music was playing as well. Wilbur was dancing with himself, smiling at an invisible partner.

"Er…hello?" Brittany called out.

"Don't mind him," John's voice came from behind her (again).

"Stop being creepy!" Brittany protested.

John shrugged. "Ben was the master of creepy on the island. Now that he's gone, I have to do all I can to honor the title."

"He's not creepy," Brittany weakly defended him. "Speaking of, why are we keeping Ben out of this?"

John held up his hand. "We'll get to that in a minute. First, allow me to be a gracious host." He set his and on her shoulder and urged her further into the room. Wilbur was still dancing around.

"Why is he dancing?" Brittany questioned.

"We're having a dance party at the island. Wilbur and…Waldo are partners. Since Waldo is busy back at the island, Wilbur has to practice by himself."

Brittany sent him a look of confusion. "Wilbur and Waldo?"

"Yes…they're a couple now," John told her, coughing in discomfort.

"Awe! That's weird and cute at the same time," Brittany cooed. She broke away from John and ran over to Wilbur. "Congratulations, Wilbur!" she grinned and tackled him in her arms. Wilbur was slightly confused but hugged her back. "Good luck at the dance party." She ruffled his hair.

"Thank you, Master," Wilbur bowed his head.

Brittany patted his shoulder. "You're welcome, my Padiwan." She joined John once more over at a conveniently placed table in the middle of the room. She sat down across from him and folded her fingers together. "Well, John, you certainly look balder."

John rubbed his head self-consciously. "Why don't we get down to business?" John changed the subject.

Brittany nodded to him. "Why are you here?"

"The island is undergoing…difficulties. It is unhappy with the people who left," John began.

"Really? It seemed pretty excited to get Ben off the island."

"Ben's case is different," John said abruptly. "As the leader, it was his duty to save the island, no matter what the consequences."

"You're just peachy because it put you in charge," Brittany pointed out.

"So? Power is fun. I like being the center of attention," John shrugged.

"Would you just get to the point?" Brittany exclaimed.

John looked perturbed. "Very well. I'm here trying to get Jack and the others to come back to the island. It's the only way to fix it."

"Fix what, exactly?" Brittany asked, her patience running out.

"I can't tell you. Jacob's orders," John said sadly.

Brittany rolled her eyes. Of course. Jacob. "Then why did you contact me?"

"Because both Ben and I have similar agendas," John told her.

"They why didn't you just contact him??" Brittany asked, exasperated.

"He's far too resourceful to trust. If I use you to get to him, then I won't have to worry about Ben problems."

"Why would I go against Ben and work for you?"

"Because if you work with Ben to accomplish his goals, you're going to have innocent blood on your hands," John told her mysteriously.

"Ben doesn't kill innocent people," Brittany scoffed.

"He will if he's on the path of vengeance," John replied. "Do you really think he'd have moved on from Alex so soon?"

It hit Brittany a moment later. "Penelope." John nodded.

"A daughter for a daughter."

Brittany ran a hand through her hair. Well, that wasn't cool. Penny and herself were sort of friends. She liked Tamara more in Brittany's opinion, but still. "Alright, what do I have to do?"

"When Ben makes contact with everyone, let me know. I'll tell you what to do then." John pulled out a business card. On the card was a smiley face and a phone number.

"What's with the smiley face?" she asked, pocketing the card.

"I thought it was cute. They had a puppy one, too, but I thought that might raise suspicion," John said mysteriously.

"Uh…sure." Brittany edged out of her seat. "I'll just be on my way, then."

"Wait. Wilbur will be coming with you," John called after her.

"What? Why? Won't Ben be curious as to where he had come from?" Wilbur was already by her side, looking at her worshipfully.

"Ben will know that I'm here. He's god like that. Wilbur will be pretending to be a spy for Ben. Protect him," John ordered her.

"Fine. Nice to have my Padiwan back," Brittany mocked a salute. Wilbur bowed his head. "See ya, Johnny!"

"Jeremy!" John's voice rang out after her.

When she reached the hotel once more, she made sure Wilbur had a room next to the Moriartys. Leaving him to his own devices, Brittany entered her room and changed out of her clothes.

Exhaustion filling her, she collapsed onto the bed. As soon as the head hit the pillow and her eyes drooped, Ben stirred. "Morning, dear," he murmured and kissed her forehead.

Brittany groaned inwardly. No sleep for her. Ben on the other hand, bounded out of bed and put his clothes on for the day. He was whistling to himself.

Brittany remained laying on the bed, burying her face under the pillow. Suddenly, she felt kisses on her back and neck. "Are you feeling well?" Ben asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night," she murmured into the sheets.

"Was my snoring keeping you awake?" Ben teased.

"Completely," she teased back. "Still cute, though." She turned and laid on her back, looking up at him. Ben ducked his head in embarrassment. He laid himself down on top of her and rested his head on her chest. She ran her fingers through his soft hair. "What's on the agenda today?"

Ben answered automatically. "Sayid is going to complete his revenge."

"Where do you take part in the plan?" she questioned.

"I'm the bait," Ben said cheerfully.

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Recently, Ben had found the idea of placing himself in direct danger exciting. "Dumpling, you know I don't like it when you're the bait." She had started their secret name game.

"Pumpkin-head, you know you don't have to worry about me."

"Yes, I do, Goober. "It's my job to worry about you," she insisted.

"Well, Lollypop, it's _my _plan, so _you _don't have anything to worry about," Ben told her. "Flawless."

Brittany sighed. "Okay, Honey Buns. Whatever you say." She patted his head.

Ben gave a soft chuckle and lifted himself up off of her. "You win, Starlight."

Brittany rolled out from underneath him and got off the bed. "You betcha, Sweetwater's Donut." Ben sent her a questioning look. "What? They're delicious, and I _really _want one right now."

While she dressed, Ben combed his hair back. During their time together, she had discovered the fact that he was obsessed with his hair. He needed it to be perfect. "I'm not sure about Sweetwater's, but there might be donuts of some sort in the lobby."

Brittany perked up. "Yes! Calories, here I come!" She quickly brushed her hair, grabbed Ben's hand and pulled him out of the room.

After filling her need of donuts, Brittany was licking her sprinkled fingers and Ben was sipping at his coffee. Suddenly, a third chair was added to their table. Sayid plopped down on it.

"Good morning, Sayid," Ben said nonchalantly.

"Dean," he nodded to him. Then, he finally looked at her. "Irene."

Brittany cracked a smile. "Hey, Sayid. You're looking miserable," she said bluntly. Sayid remained motionless.

Ben cleared his throat awkwardly. "I take it you're ready?" Sayid nodded. "Good." Ben unfolded the paper and put his glasses on. Sayid was ignored.

Brittany shifted in her chair uncomfortably. "So…how've you been?" Then, she remembered Tamara. "Wait! Have you seen Tamara?"

Sayid was glad that the first question was dropped. "She got off the island as well. The last I heard, she was staying with Desmond."

Brittany's grin widened. "Atta girl!" In her excitement, she squeezed the butter a bit too hard. The butter squirted everywhere. Ben was protected by his paper. Slowly, he lowered his newspaper and looked at his two table occupants. They were both covered in butter, shocked expressions on their faces.

Smirking, Ben looked back at the newspaper and said casually, "Dear, you've got something on your face."

Brittany coughed a reply.

With Ben and Sayid already gone off for their day's mission, Brittany took the time by herself to check on Wilbur. He was staring out the window in boredom. "Top o' the morning, Wilbur," Brittany said cheerfully.

Wilbur was instantly on his feet. "Master," he bowed.

"Easy, Padiwan. You don't have to bow to me," Brittany told him.

Wilbur stood upright and looked at her curiously. "How did you know about the lightsabers?"

This time, Brittany was confused. "Lightsabers? As in, Star Wars lightsabers?" Wilbur nodded. "Explain."

"A few days after you left, we discovered a secret room in the Tempest station. Inside the room, we found blasters and lightsabers. It seems that someone in the Dharma Initiativie was a huge Star Wars fan."

Brittany was practically drooling with need. "They're _real_?"

"Oh, yes. Richard only has four toes now. Oops," he shrugged.

"Sweet!"

Wilbur pulled out his suitcase. "Each is made for its master." A collection of lightsaber hilts were in his suitcase. "John and the others already found their lightsabers. One of these must belong to you."

Brittany looked down at the hilts. She moved her hand and hovered over them. Her hand stopped when a vibration ran through her arm. Her brow furrowed as she took the hilt in her hand. It fit perfectly. She swung it to the side, and a purple beam sprouted out. "Ooh, purple!" Giggling, she swung the lightsaber around, reveling in being a geek.

"Oh! This is dandy!" she exclaimed, enjoying the buzzing sound the saber gave. Once her arm had become sore, she placed the hilt on her belt after making the saber collapse.

"I take it you're going to use these against Widmore," Brittany patted the hilt.

Wilbur nodded. "He won't stand a chance." Brittany smiled and headed for the door.

"Ben will be happy about that."

"You can't tell him!" Wilbur argued.

"The Hell I can't! Come on. It's time to introduce you." Brittany grabbed his arm and pulled him out with her.

"He already knows me," Wilbur pointed out. Brittany pretended she didn't hear him. Once inside her own room, she locked the door behind them and made sure that Wilbur stayed in the corner.

"Don't look so worried. It's all a part of my genius plan," she assured him.

"How so?"

"Just go with the flow," Brittany winked. Hearing the door being unlocked, her excitement grew. She was momentarily amazed at how quickly they had completed their mission. Sayid was not with him.

"Darling!" Brittany cried and jumped into his arms. Ben, surprised, missed her, and she dropped to the floor. "Ow," she grumbled.

"Sorry. Clumsy," Ben reminded her. He helped her to her feet and looked her over. Then he saw Wilbur. Ben froze. "What is _he _doing here?"

Brittany took his hands and led him further into the room. "John is here. Wilbur came with him. He's our spy now."

"Is he?" Ben eyed him suspiciously. "And how do you know he's not a double agent?"

"How do you know he's not a triple agent?" Brittany drew on.

"Or a quadruple agent?"

"Or a quintet agent?"

"Or a sextet agent?" Ben smirked. Brittany's smile grew and she prepared herself to launch at him again. Ben held up a hand. "Later, darling. We have business to take care of first."

"Right," Brittany sighed in defeat. She turned to Wilbur once more. "You. Talk."

Wilbur looked at her fearfully. "Master?" he questioned.

"Master?" Ben turned to her in confusion.

"Yeah. Wilbur is my Padiwan," Brittany told him proudly. Her eyes widened when she remembered the saber at her side. "Benji! Look! I have a lightsaber! I'm a true Jedi Knight now." She whipped out her saber and let it flow open.

Ben was unimpressed. "So? I already have one."

Brittany blinked. "You…do?"

"Yeah. I found my lightsaber years ago."

"Well, you could have told me." Brittany crossed her arms over her chest. "I would have found you so much more attractive earlier on."

Ben pretended to be hurt. "What? You mean it wasn't love at first sight?"

"If you remember, the moment we met we made a bet with one another." Brittany tapped his chest.

"Which I lost. I've never been more glad to have lost in my life," Ben smiled warmly.

Brittany caught the hidden affectionate look and blushed. Wilbur cleared his throat. "Right! Wilbur, why is John here?"

Wilbur swallowed thickly. "Is he looking for something?" Brittany encouraged.

Wilbur nodded. "Yes. He's looking for the other ones. The survivors. The Oceanic Six."

"Why?" Ben prompted.

"He wants them back. The island is in peril," Wilbur told him fearfully.

"Why does he need them all?" Ben asked. Then it came to them. "Everyone has to go back." He drifted off into thought.

"Ben," Brittany turned to him, a look of excitement growing on her face.

"I know. We can go back." Ben nodded to her unspoken words. "We can go home." Brittany took his hands and nodded eagerly.

"Home," she breathed. Wilbur was playing along nicely.

Ben seemed to think that Wilbur was being very cooperative.

"Thank you for coming to us, Wilbur. Your assistance is highly appreciated. You're free to go. If you go back to John, however," his tone turned threatening, "then our next meeting will not be as pleasant."

Wilbur gulped. "I was hoping that I might stay with my master."

Ben looked at him suspiciously. He turned his head in Brittany's direction in question. "I'll be fine with him. Besides, I need someone to talk to when you're not here."

Ben reluctantly nodded his head. "Very well. He's your new pet." Brittany grinned and kissed his cheek.

"Wonderful. Are we off to London now?" she asked.

"We need to take a small detour first. There's a mission in Italy."

"Italy?! Can we go to the fancy McDonalds?" she asked in wonder.

Ben looked at her in confusion. "There's such a thing as a fancy McDonalds?"

"Yeah! I saw it on the Travel Channel once," Brittany said proudly. "So, can we go? Can we go?"

Ben gave her a fearful look. "Erm…okay."

"Yayz!" Brittany hugged him tightly then released him. "Cheeseburgers, here I come!" Grabbing Wilbur's hands, she yanked him up then started dancing happily with him around the room.

Ben, feeling left out, devised an evil plan on the spot. While Wilbur danced by backwards, he quickly and sneakily stuck his foot out and tripped Wilbur. With a yelp, Wilbur fell backwards and somersaulted away. Gracefully, Ben took his place and continued to dance with her. Wilbur groaned at his placeo n the floor.

* * *

After spending some time in Italy, they flocked to London. Sayid was sent to Hawaii for the first few weeks that they were there. Brittany had wanted to go with him, but Ben had denied her such pleasure. While Ben scoped out the location of Widmore's current lodgings, Brittany was feeding information to Wilbur who would then repeat it to John. Brittany was well-aware that Ben was also seeking any information on the whereabouts of Penny. She pretended to remain oblivious to Ben's plans.

"I think I'm going to take in the sights today," Brittany told him one morning.

Ben set down his paper and gave her a look of surprise. "Really! I thought you would have been exhausted from last night."

Brittany blushed a dark red. "Well, now you know that silk lingerie is my weakness. Strange, only Tamara knew that fetish, and she found out on complete accident."

Ben coughed. "Yes. Strange. Lucky guess, I suppose."

Brittany sighed. "I do miss Tamara. I wonder whatever happened to her and Desmond."

Ben was nonchalant. "Maybe she was hit by a coconut and died."

Brittany rolled her eyes. It seemed that Ben's vehemence for Tamara was still at large. "Okay then." She collected her things and stood from the table.

"I'll be home as soon as I can. Maybe, when I get back, we can go to the opera," Ben suggested.

Brittany kissed the top of his head and combed his hair back with her fingers. "You need to buy the tickets first, dear. By this time, I'm sure all of the tickets are sold out."

Ben merely smiled. "Alright, I'm outta here."

"Be careful," he reminded her.

"You too," Brittany called over her shoulder and left the room.

She walked around London, finding places she had read about or heard of. It was then that she spotted the Holy Grail. An IHOP restaurant was just on the other side of the street.

"IHOP! Here I come!" she said cheerfully and skipped over.

* * *

"And that was when I met you," Brittany finished, looking at her proudly.

Tamara eyed her for a moment. "You guys have too much sex. Desmond and I need to up our game."

Brittany giggled. "Ben does like bunnies. I'm beginning to understand why."

"Ew!! No more, please! I do _not _want to picture him in that way!" Tamara declared quite dramatically.

"Okay…but he's really good-"

"Stop!" Tamara cried.

"Sorry," Brittany murmured.

"So, you're helping John," Tamara changed the subject.

"In a sense. I'm really helping both. Keeping an eye on both."

"I want to see your lightsaber!" Tamara suddenly blurted.

Brittany jumped from the force of her voice. "I- okay, but not here. People will get jealous." Tamara nodded in understanding.

After filling their stomachs with delicious pancakes, Brittany brought Tamara back to the hotel. Ben, as she had guessed, had left. "I always keep it with me." She took it off her belt and flicked it open.

Tamara's eyes widened. "Dude, that really is a lightsaber!"

Brittany swung it around expertly. She had watched many _Star Wars _moves in her time. As had Tamara. "I want one," she whined. Brittany led her over to the suitcase Wilbur carried and opened it.

"Find it," she told her simply.

Tamara looked at the suitcase, her eyes running over the hilts. Brittany observed her. She smiled when Tamara's face lit up. She held out her hand and took ahold of the hilt. With a flick, the saber sprang out. It was pink. Tamara squealed in delight and swung it around.

"We're Sith lords!" Tamara exclaimed.

"Darth Vader is our master," Brittany agreed.

"And we are his apprentices," Tamara said proudly. "Now, let's practice!" And with that, they wielded their sabers against one anothers, jumping on furniture and running around the room.

This went on for a few more hours until the door opened. Ben walked in, oblivious to the chaos within. His head snapped up when he heard the buzzing sound of the lightsabers.

His expression turned annoyed when he saw Tamara leap down from the bed and strike at Brittany, who parried the attack. "Not you," he groaned.

Brittany, hearing him, sent him a look of anger. "You!" she growled, closing her lightsaber. She pounced on him and gave him a slap on the face.

Both Ben and Tamara looked shocked. Ben turned his head back and looked at her in confusion. "You little liar," she continued to fume. Ben swallowed and glared at Tamara. This was all her fault. "You said you had no idea where Tamara was. Apparently, she's been working for you the entire time!" Brittany shoved him angrily. "How dare you keep things from me, Benjamin. We're supposed to be open with one another. No secrets."

Ben looked down in thought. "I didn't want you to get involved. I don't care if your friend dies." Tamara scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "If I told you what she was doing, wouldn't you have wanted to go with her?"

Brittany bit her lip. "Yeah." Ben gave her a knowing look. "But you still should have told me. I wouldn't have left you if you didn't want me to." Ben didn't say anything. "We're partners. Talk to me." Ben nodded, looking as though he had been thoroughly scolded. Brittany lightly kissed his cheek and turned away. Tamara, feeling awkward, went back to swinging her lightsaber around.

"Wait," Ben said suddenly. Brittany looked back at him. "No more secrets," he agreed. Clearing his throat, he began rambling. "I killed my father, often times I blame myself for killing my mother. I love chicken and ham, I stay away from alcohol for fear of becoming my father, being in a relationship terrifies me, my right arm is slightly longer than my left, I find the color pink quite flattering on me, I care way too much for my hair than I should, females during their time of the month give me nightmares, I'm allergic to Red Dye 12. I find that I am a sex and chocolate addict, and I would like to some day combine the two with you." Tamara groaned in disgust. "Oh, and I plan on killing Penelope Widmore in order to avenge my daughter."

Ben took a deep breath and looked at Brittany imploringly. For a moment, she was speechless. "Okay then. I suppose I have a secret too." She tilted her head and admitted, "I've been leaking information to John.

Ben's face froze. To her horror, he looked hurt. "You've been helping _John_?" he asked in disbelief. She slowly nodded. Ben dropped his gaze. "How could you do this to me?" he asked breathlessly.

"I didn't want you to hurt Penny," Brittany weakly defended herself.

"_John_! Brittany, I thought you loved me. It is apparent that I was wrong." Brittany started getting teary eyed. "What did you tell him, exactly?"

Brittany sniffed. "I told him who you were going for and who you talked to."

"Brittany! Don't you see?! He's trying to beat me to Widmore. If he gets him first, then there's no hope of returning to the island. Jacob will never redeem me." He pointed a finger at her. "You are ruining my chances of going home."

Brittany shook her head. "I was only helping him so he could stop you from killing Penny."

Ben scoffed in disbelief. "Our entire relationship has been a lie, hasn't it?"

Brittany looked at him helplessly. "No Ben, it hasn't. I do love you. That's why I'm trying to stop you from killing her. You're not a murderer," she pleaded with him.

Ben merely curled his lip in a sneer. "Well then. Here are your opera tickets, _dear_. Maybe John would like to go." He pushed the tickets in her hand and stormed out of the room.

Brittany gaped after him. Tamara stopped swinging her lightsaber around and observed the situation. "Sheesh. Dramatic, isn't he?

Brittany gave a small nod. "He gets jealous easily. Probably thinks I slept with John."

"Ew." Tamara wrinkled her nose.

"I know. Bald men, creepy," Brittany agreed. "Wilbur," she turned to him, "tell John that he will no longer hear from me. I can take care of the problem myself."

Wilbur nodded and ran off. "So…opera tickets?" Tamara nodded to them.

Brittany looked down at the tickets and nodded. "Yeah. They're the box seats, too." Her head snapped up. "Hey! Do you and Desmond want to go?"

"Um…sure!" Tamara exclaimed. "Unless your Biffle has another job for me."

"Something tells me we won't be seeing him for the rest of the day," Brittany said quietly.

"Well, it's about time you two had a fight. Honestly, you guys get along way too well," Tamara pointed out. "You can't have angry sex if you're always happy."

Brittany laughed. "Thanks, Tamara."

"Anytime. Now, let's get back to our battle."

* * *

To their surprise, Ben joined them to the opera. He was oblivious to Brittany and only talked to Desmond. Brittany never would have thought that Benjamin Linus gave people the cold shoulder.

They arrived at the opera, the men adorned in silk suits and the ladies in elegant evening dresses. Tamara and Desmond were linked hand-in-hand. Ben wasn't even looking at Brittany. When they sat in the box, Brittany had had enough. "Stop being such a child!" she whispered sharply to him.

"I am not acting like a child," Ben pouted. "I'm behaving quite rationally in my opinion."

"Well, your opinion is wrong!" she hissed. "I didn't sleep with him, you know."

Ben eyed her. "You didn't?"

"Not once."

"Ever?"

"Not ever."

"Anything remotely close to it?"

"Please, Ben, you'll make me hurl. That's just as bad as kissing Jack," Brittany gagged.

Ben allowed a small smile to form on his lips. "Really?"

"Really really," Brittany assured him with a smile.

Ben looked down. "I suppose I overreacted."

Brittany placed a hand over his own and patted it. "You do that a lot," she told him in an understanding tone.

Tamara, seeing them hold hands, jumped up and shouted, "NO! NOW YOU CAN'T HAVE ANGRY SEX!" Unfortunately, the time she blurted this out, the audience had silenced as the lights began dimming. Brittany heard a ruffle of seats. Looking down, she saw every single person in the audience looking up at them.

"Er, bad timing, Tamara," she whimpered. The lights dimmed completely and the audience was forced to look at the stage. Tamara sat down and hid her face in Desmond's neck. Brittany happily held Ben's hand. Once the curtain fell on the final act, the audience rose and gave a thunderous applause.

"That was amazing!" Tamara exclaimed.

"Yeah! A pity I had no idea what it was about," Brittany added. Tamara nodded in agreement. Ben rolled his eyes.

"Next time, we'll go see Cats," Brittany announced as they left the opera house.

"Oh god no!" Ben protested. If I really wanted to see a bunch of dancing cats, all I would have to do is look out the window in the alley."

Tamara stuck her tongue out at him. "Those cats don't sing!"

"They sing just as well as the performers," Ben told her with a smug look.

"I think Desmond would be a good cat," Tamara suddenly blurted and scratched his hair lovingly.

It was at that moment that Brittany realized she had never met Desmond Hume before. Not formally, anyway. "Hey!" she cried and stopped the crowd. Seizing Desmond's hand, she began to shake it violently in greeting. "At last! We meet! I'm Brittany. Wonderful to meet you Desmond. Tamara's told me a lot about you. I think I saw you once before when Ben and I were caught in a net, but you didn't stay long. Remember that day? My, what adventures we had~"

Ben, seeing how uncomfortable Brittany was making Desmond, quickly grabbed her hand and held it away from Desmond's. "Yes, how wonderful of you two to meet. Desmond, I have a matter of which to discuss with you tomorrow. Come to my hotel at noon tomorrow. Tamara will know where it is." Ben shook his hand more carefully than Brittany had and quickly released it.

Desmond gave him a puzzled look. "Why can't you tell me now?"

Ben gave him an 'are you dumb?' look. "Because that would ruin the suspense and drama."

Brittany patted his arm fondly. "He likes a good audience reaction." Tamara nodded, completely understanding. They said their farewells and left to each of their respected lodgings.

* * *

The next morning, Brittany woke up to the smell of eggs and toast. Opening her eyes, she saw that Ben had already ordered room service.

"Good, you're awake. I was starting to worry that I overexerted you last night," Ben's voice reached her.

Turning slightly, she saw him sitting in a chair opposite of the bed. Brittany shifted and ran a hand through her hair. "Uh, what did you dod to my hair?" she groaned, feeling that it was all matted in places.

Ben shrugged. "Returned a favor," his eyes twinkled wickedly.

Brittany crawled underneath the covers until she reached the foot of the bed. Then she reached her arm out and grabbed some breakfast. Eating underneath the covers, she heard the chair move. Shortly after, a weight was added to her right.

"You need to get dressed. Our friends will be here soon."

"Seriously? Jeez, I really did sleep in."

"Will you come out from under there? I feel strange talking to a lump of sheets," Ben teased.

"But it's so dark and warm," Brittany argued. She popped out from under the covers though and poured herself a glass of tea.

"Much better," Ben smiled. "The scenery has much improved."

Brittany returned the smile and drained her tea. "You need to learn to sleep in," she told him, running her fingers through his hair.

"I've been up since dawn. Old habits," he shrugged.

Brittany kissed the top of his head then skipped off to get dressed. Once the bathroom door closed, a knock came at the door. Ben stood and opened the door. Desmond and Tamara entered the room. Tamara matched Brittany's sleepiness. It looked like Desmond was practically dragging her into the room.

"Late night?" Ben inquired.

"We went dancing after the opera," Desmond told him.

"Clubbing is the proper term," Tamara muttered.

Ben gestured for them to come in closer. "Please, sit down," he gestured to the arm chairs. "Would you like any breakfast?" he offered.

"Just get to the point, Benryjamin. I need to get to work. Mr. McCreepy doesn't appreciate lateness," Tamara told him.

Ben ignored her. "Desmond, I know you're in contact with Penelope Widmore." His gaze drifted to Tamara. "As are you."

"If you're looking to get us to tell you where she is, you've got another thing coming," Tamara interrupted.

Ben held up his hand. "I'm not asking you to give me her location. I'm not going to hurt her. I need to use her as bait. She's the only thing that will lure Charles away from his stronghold."

Brittany came out of the bathroom, brushing her teeth. "Hey! You're 'ere!" she said around her brush.

Ben, without looking at her, said, "You're drooling, darling."

"Oh." Brittany rushed back to the bathroom.

"Why would I let you use Penny as bait?" Desmond demanded.

"Because none of us are safe unless Widmore is disposed of. The only way to do that is to use Penny," Ben said simply.

"Um, Ben?" Brittany said hesitantly, entering the room with the paper in her hands. "John is dead." She was holding the newspaper, having got it from outside the door. Her face was pale and confused. Ben rushed over to her and took the paper. Sure enough, Jeremy Bentham was in the obituaries.

"Oh no," Ben breathed. "The island is without a leader. That is not a good thing." He set the paper down and kept his gaze on the floor, thinking furiously. "I need to step up my plan. We're out of time." Then, his head snapped up, his eyes determined. "You two need to get your things together. We're going to America." He was already rushing about the room, packing up. "Meet us at the airport in an hour. I'll have tickets for you."

Desmond and Tamara hesitated then booked it out of the room. "Call Wilbur," Ben told Brittany. She shot him a look of puzzlement but grabbed the phone anyway.

"Wilbur?" she called. "Come here. Ben wants to talk to you." She hung up. A moment later, Wilbur walked in.

Ben took the phone from her and began dialing a number. Looking up at Wilbur, he said, "you need to go to the airport and get us immediate tickets on the flight to the U.S." He handed him a wad of cash. "Go now." Wilbur didn't need telling twice. He rushed out of the room.

"Hello, Sayid?" Ben said into the phone. "Meet me at the airport. Our plans have been elevated." He hung up and went back to packing.

Brittany was in a whirlwind of confusion. "Wait! Hold on. What are we doing?"

Ben stuffed their toothbrushes into the bag. "Without a leader on the island, Widmore will make his move. This is a chance to finish him. However, in order to do that, I need to gather all of those who left the island. We can only go back if we _all _go back."

Brittany eyed him. "And you want to lure Charles to the island using Penny? I thought the plan was keeping Charles as far away from the island as possible."

Ben nodded. "Initially, it was. Now that the island has an empty throne, both he and I can return to take it. However, the rules are different now. We can both be killed as long as we're on the island."

"You can kill him?"

Ben gave a single nod. "The temptation will be too great for him. He'll risk his life to save Penelope and take the throne once more."

"Once more?"

Ben tilted his head. "Didn't I tell you that Charles moved the island before? He was banished just like us."

Before he could continue, Brittany's phone rang. 'Como Va' started playing. Ben rolled his eyes. Brittany flipped her phone open and answered the call. "Hello?"

"We're flying in an hour," Wilbur told her on the other side of the phone.

"Thanks. Wait for us there." She hung up and glanced at Ben. "Tickets are taken care of. We have an hour."

Ben zipped up the suitcase and grabbed his jacket. "Then we'd better get going." Brittany grabbed her jacket as well. Ben passed the suitcase to her. "Carry," he ordered and led the way out of the room.

Heaving the suitcase, Brittany followed. "What a gentleman," she muttered. They arrived at the airport shortly after. Sayid was already there. Wilbur had everyone's ticket in hand.

"Are Tamara and Desmond not here yet?" Brittany questioned.

"Yes we are!" Tamara announced their arrival. "I wanted to arrive fashionably late."

Ben smirked. "Where's your fashion?"

Tamara smirked right back and tapped the sunglasses on the top of her head. They fell into place and covered her eyes. "Oh yeah." She struck a pose. She skipped over to Brittany and saw that she was struggling underneath the weight of the suitcase. "Hello, pack mule," she greeted.

Brittany dropped the suitcase on her foot. Tamara yowled in pain.

"Now boarding Flight 416," a woman's voice came over the speakers. "Gate 15."

"That's our Flight," Desmond said, looking at the ticket.

"Let's go!" Tamara said eagerly. She grabbed Dezzy's hands and ran off for the gate. Everyone else walked over. Once they were in their seats, everyone buckled down. Sayid was noticeably nervous. Poor man probably had a phobia of planes now.

Wilbur was stuck next to a crying baby. He kept shooting jealous glares at the happy couples. Tamara looked up and saw the numerous buttons. "Ooh," she cooed.

Desmond, seeing her interest, shook his head. "Tamara, don't do it. Resist those urges. We talked about this."

"But it's a button!" she protested.

Brittany grinned and leaned over her seat. "I can push it! At least _my _boyfriend allows me to push all of the buttons I want." She stuck her tongue out at her and pushed a button. The light came on. Tamara, looking at the light, was momentarily blinded.

"Ah! My eyes. I can't see!" she cried.

"Aha! Revenge!" Brittany shouted triumphantly. She pressed all of the other buttons, making air blow on Tamara as well as blinding her again and again.

"Miss, please stop pushing those buttons," a stewardess said.

Ben grabbed her arm and pulled her back down to her seat. "Sorry, ma'am. I'll watch her." He smile charmingly at the woman. She gave a flirty smile back and continued on down the aisle.

Brittany seethed in her seat. Ben raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong, dear?"

"She was totally making eyes at you," Brittany told him in an angry tone.

Ben, quite oblivious to the exchange, looked at her in puzzlement. "No, she wasn't."

"Yes, she was!" And you just kept smiling that smile of yours at her." Brittany crossed her arms over her chest.

Ben smiled charmingly at her. "This one?"

Brittany glanced sideways at him. "Yes. Stop it. You're not going to charm your way out of this."

"But I didn't do anything," Ben said, exasperated.

"Yeah…well, you just keep it in your pants." She nodded to his lap.

"Brittany, please," Ben whispered, embarrassed.

Tamara, overhearing Brittany's statement, turned back in her seat. "Hey! No inappropriate behavior while on the plane. This is not the Mile High club."

Brittany gave her a pleading look. "Just a little?"

"No! Especially not if I'm around. I do _not _want to even imagine that," Tamara said sternly.

The plane filled up and it started moving. Brittany and Tamara's faces were glued to the window. They excitedly as the plane increased speed and entered the air. Once the plane leveled off, Brittany realized something. "This is going to be a very long flight."

Hours passed by and Brittany sat slumped in her seat. The movie was on, _Star Wars VI. _At the ending, both Brittany and Tamara were crying on his shoulder. Desmond was quietly soothing Tamara down. When the credits rolled up, Brittany wiped her eyes. "Wow. That movie always gets me."

Tamara whimpered in agreement. After a nap, Brittany was once more bored. It just so happened that the flirty stewardess was making her rounds. She nudged Tamara from behind and gestured for her to meet her in the empty seat beside them both. Brittany shifted to the left and moved seats. Tamara moved a moment later.

"What's up?" Tamara whispered.

"I know you brought them," Brittany said.

Tamara hesitated. "Brought what?"

"The merchandise," she prompted. "I think now is the perfect time to play a little game."

Tamara's smile grew. She disappeared for a moment then returned holding a pile of large and small plastic snakes. "Snakes on a plane," she smirked evilly.

"Perfect."

* * *

"Oh my god!" A snake!" A woman shrilled.

"Where, where?"

"Over there!"

"No, it's over there!"

"Oh god, we're going to die!"

"Terrorists!"

"Anarchy!"

"Bubbles!" a child cried, for bubbles had started filling the cabin.

Tamara and Brittany were grinning madly at one another. "Nice touch with the bubbles," Brittany complimented.

"Thanks. I forgot I still had my bubble machine in there," Tamara smiled.

Brittany watched in satisfaction as the stewardess ran around trying to calm everyone down. It was quite clear that she was currently hating her life.

"Girls, what did you do?" Ben asked, his tone scolding.

"What makes you think it was us, Benjeeva?" Tamara asked.

Ben didn't comment on his new nickname. He simply nodded to the bubble machine underneath her seat. "Oh," they said together.

"You need to behave yourselves for the rest of the trip," Ben told them.

"And if we don't?" Tamara prompted.

"Then you don't get any coffee," Ben smirked.

Brittany gasped and pushed Tamara back to her seat. "Stay." She turned the bubble machine off and sat back, her hands folded on her lap. Brittany rested her head against Ben's shoulder and watched the next movie that came on.

* * *

When they arrived at their next hotel, everyone was suffering from jet lag. Except for Ben. They were all sharing the same room. When Tamara realized this, she cried out, "This is going to be terrible! We're all going to be suffering from sexual tension, and we're not going to be able to satisfy it!"

Ben winked at her. "There's always the shower."

Tamara groaned in disgust and collapsed on the bed, covering herself under the covers. Desmond scratched his cheek and approached Ben. "I've come to a decision."

"Well?" Ben inquired.

"If you promise not to harm her, I'll bring Penny to you," Desmond said.

Ben paused, observing him. "Alright. You bring her here, and I promise not to touch a hair on her head."

Desmond slowly nodded and shook his hand. Brittany spoke up, looking right at Ben. "Don't worry, Desmond. If he goes against his word, then I'll leave him." Ben's expression didn't change, but she saw shock in his eyes. Desmond, more reassured, joined Tamara on their bed and disappeared under the covers.

Ben took a step toward her. "Do you mean that?"

Brittany stretched out on the bed. "Yup." Ben slowly sat on the bed.

"I'd rather you didn't leave me," he said quietly.

"Then don't go back on your word," she replied simply. Ben gave a single nod and a small smile.

"Go to sleep, dear. We have a busy day tomorrow," he murmured and kissed her forehead. Brittany fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

* * *

"I don't want it. It's too dangerous! Besides, I'm more lethal with a gun," Desmond's voice rang in her head. Brittany stirred.

"But you have to have it! It's so cool. You can be a Jedi like Brittany and me," Tamara's voice joined his.

"Sith lord," Brittany said, opening her eyes and sitting up. "We're Sith lords, Tamara."

"Right. Des is being lame. He found his lightsaber, but he doesn't want it," Tamara updated her.

Brittany looked at the lightsaber. It was blue. "Why don't you want it?" she asked Desmond.

"I'm not the sword-wielding type," he shrugged.

Ben entered the room then. Brittany hadn't even realized that he was gone. He quickly took in the situation. "You can join your lightsaber together," he told them. "Like Darth Maul's."

Both Tamara and Brittany's eyes grew wide in awe. "We can?"

Ben nodded. "Yeah. I can do it." Tamara handed the two lightsabers to him. Ben took them and sat down at a desk.

Brittany smiled proudly at him. "My biffle's a geek! I'm so happy." They crowded over his shoulder and watched as he took apart and rebuilt the two sabers together.

When he was finished with the lightsabers, he handed it to Tamara. "Here you go, Swiss Cheese," he smiled pleasantly. Tamara stuck her tongue out and grabbed the saber.

With a lovely humming sound, the two ends of the lightsaber emitted their colors: pink and blue. Brittany pouted. "I want a two-bladed lightsaber."

Ben withdrew his collapsible baton. "Here. I don't use it." To their surprise, another blue lightsaber shot up from the opposite end of his baton.

"Whoa! I had no idea that was a modernized lightsaber!" Brittany exclaimed. Ben carefully removed the bottom notch of the saber and attached it to Brittany's. He held it out to her when he was finished. "Awe. Thank you schnookums," Brittany cooed and spun the saber in her hand: purple and blue.

"You're quite welcome, Honey Biscuit," Ben replied.

Brittany closed the distance between them and pressed herself against him. Her lips brushed over his neck teasingly. She could feel his breathing rate increase against her shoulder. "Pudding, I don't think this is the most ideal time," he whispered in her ear.

Brittany only gave a soft moan in reply. She moved her lips up to his ear and gently tugged on his earlobe. She felt him shudder underneath her. Suddenly, his hands gripped her waist and wrenched her away from him.

Brittany sent him a smug and wicked smile. Ben was obviously trying his best to compose himself. She turned to Tamara. "His ears are his weak spot." She took his ear in hand and gently squeezed it. His ears turned a light red. "You just give him the slightest bit of attention there, and he melts." Ben's ears grew redder in embarrassment.

"Yeah, right. I'll store that away for later," Tamara said sarcastically.

"This is wasting time!" Ben exclaimed. "We need to leave." He looked at Desmond. "Bring Penny here." He looked at Tamara. "Contact Jack and Hugo." Then he grabbed Brittany's hand. "Come with me."

Leading her by the arm, he led her away out of the hotel. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"To see Sun," Ben replied. "She's infiltrated Widmore's Industries." They entered a taxi and drove to the nearest coffee shop.

"Where were you this morning?" Brittany asked him.

"I was paying a visit to Kate. After an exchange of words, I've managed to convince her to come back to the island," Ben told her, looking out the window.

When they entered the coffee shop, Brittany spotted the Korean woman sitting alone. They sat opposite her. Ben didn't order anything, but Brittany did. She was feeling famished. She ordered: two cups of coffee, a stack of pancakes, a piece of toast, another cup of tea, and a fried egg. By the end, she was kicking herself at eating so much.

Sun and Ben, meanwhile, were conversing about Charles. "Make sure to give him this note three days from now. You must make sure that the post office is clear on this."

Sun nodded and took the note from him. "Is my husband really alive?" she suddenly asked him.

Ben didn't blink. "Yes, Sun. Jin is there waiting for you." Sun nodded and without another word left.

Brittany raised an eyebrow. "Really, Ben? Lying to an obviously distraught woman?"

Ben looked down at his hand. "It's necessary. I shall face the consequences later."

They returned to the hotel and the room, finding chaos within. "Well, I don't care! Stop trying to act like House and get your butt over here!" Tamara was yelling into the phone. "Yes, you are! I don't care, you're not going to get your own television show. Yeah, keep dreaming." She hung up angrily.

Ben looked at her expectantly. "I take it you were conversing with Jack?"

Tamara gave an angry nod. "The dweeb is popping pills like crazy. He's trying to be Gregory House. Bastard," she muttered. Brittany placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

Sayid and Wilbur walked in. "We've got the location of his body. We can steal it tonight after the funeral."

Ben looked back at Tamara. "And Hugo?"

"He's currently locked in an insane asylum. He sees dead people," Tamara said brightly. "Mikhail says hi," she told Brittany.

"Sayid, you'll take him there. Someone might be watching him so make sure to take care of that," Ben instructed him.

"Have we got everyone then?" Brittany asked.

"No. What about Kate?" Tamara inquired.

Ben quickly replied. "I've already talked to her. She and Aaron are both onboard."

"Lovely," Tamara rolled her eyes.

Desmond walked in then. Behind him, Penelope Widmore looked around anxiously. Ben was all charm once more. "Hello, Miss Widmore. A pleasure to meet you. I'm-"

"I know who you are," Penelope interrupted him. "The only reason I'm agreeing to do this is because I know my father is a monster. The world will be a better place without him in it."

Tamara leapt over and hugged Penny. "Penny! So wonderful to see you again!"

Penny brightened and returned the hug. "Hello, Tamara. How have you been?"

"Simply fantabulous! You?" Tamara pulled back.

"Quite well. Thank you," Penny smiled.

Ben, annoyed, shut the door behind them and sat down in a chair. Wilbur booked a few more rooms for the new arrivals. When the day ended, Kate, Aaron, Jack, and Penny were all living in the hotel as well. Sayid, Wilbur, and Ben left to collect Hugo and John's body. Tamara, Brittany, Penny and the others were left behind. They all gathered around the television and watched _Survivor. _It was bringing up some bad memories for Kate and Jack though, so Brittany changed the channel. They watched _The Office _instead.

Tamara was filled with glee. "This gives me so many ideas for pranks," she whispered to Brittany. For the briefest moment, a look of sadness crossed her face. Brittany knew she was thinking of Alex.

"I'll be your pranking buddy," she whispered back.

"Just like old times?"

"Just like old times," she nodded.

Tamara perked up. "Then we've got some work to do." She grabbed her hand and yanked her out of the room. Within the hour, they had set up pranks for Sayid, Ben, Jack, and Kate. After Sayid and Ben came home, they waited excitedly for their reactions.

Sayid was first. "Where is my bed?" He rushed into the room. "It's gone!"

Ben gave him a puzzled look. "Your bed is missing?"

"Yes!" he cried.

Tamara and Brittany pretended to look just as puzzled. "You're sure it's not in there?" Tamara questioned. Sayid nodded quickly.

"Why don't we all take a look?" Brittany suggested. Tamara, Ben, Brittany, and Sayid went into his room. Sure enough, no bed was to be found. The girls shared a secret smile.

Tamara stretched out her arms and casually stated, "I have to go to the bathroom." She edged to the door and opened it slowly. "Oh my! Look what we have here!" she exclaimed.

Brittany took her cue and joined her. "Wow Tamara You found Sayid's bed!" And there it was. Sayid's bed had been squished into the bathroom.

"But how did it get in here?!" Sayid was beyond himself. Tamara and Brittany silently giggled.

* * *

"Help! My underwear is stuck to the ceiling!" Kate's voice carried to their room.

"You mean your thongs!" Jack's voice carried after hers. Tamara and Brittany shared a look of disgust. Kate ran in, looking frantic and disheveled.

"You need to help!" she cried to no one in particular.

"Let's go see!" Brittany exclaimed and grabbed Ben's hand and ran out of the room with Tamara and Desmond following. When they entered, the girls burst out laughing. Kate's underwear and bras were glued securely to the ceiling.

"How does that even happen?" Kate sobbed. Tamara and Brittany gave each other a low high five.

* * *

"AHHHHHHH!" Jack shrieked. Brittany's lip curled into a smirk. Ben gave an annoyed sigh.

"What is it, Jack?" he asked. "Oh God," his eyes widened when he opened the door. Jack was standing before them, his shirt off. He was completely bald! Chest, arm hair, mangy beard, and scruffy hair was completely shaven off. Even his eyebrows. "What happened?" Ben questioned, shocked.

Jack walked in and shook his head. "I don't know. I was feeling suddenly very tired, so I took a nap." Tamara hid the bottle of sleeping pills behind her back. "When I woke up, I looked like this."

Ben fought the urge to laugh. "My advice is to buy a hat," he told Jack. Jack nodded gravely and left the room sadly. Ben turned to the two girls. "Now _that _was a good one."

Brittany fluttered her eyelashes innocently and said, "Now, Ben, why would you ever think that _we _would do something like this?" Ben's smirk widened.

* * *

"Brittany, where are my things?" Ben's accusatory voice reached her before she saw him.

Brittany sat up lazily and looked at him. "What do you mean, Love Bean?"

Tamara popped up. "That rhymed!"

Ben was not amused. "You know what I mean. All of my things are missing. My toothbrush, my baton, my razor, my hair gel, my glasses. Everything!"

Brittany yawned. "I'll tell you what. You buy me a candy bar, and I'll tell you where your things are."

Ben glowered. "Fine." He left the room and headed for the snack machine. Tamara and Brittany giggled.

Ben approached the snack machine and put some money in. He looked at the choices. His gaze caught on a pair of glasses. Wait. Those were _his _glasses. Ben slapped his hands against the glass and looked at the other items. There was his toothbrush, and his hair gel. "Clever, girls," he muttered.

When Ben returned, he spilled a bunch of candy on the bed. He had to buy a bunch of candy in order to get his things. "Nice work," he grunted.

"We thought so," Tamara piped up. Ben took his things and walked into the bathroom. Brittany divided up the candy and gave Tamara her share.

"A delicious reward for an accomplishing day," Brittany sighed.

"Too true, pranking buddy," Tamara grinned. "Cheers." She raised up a Twix.

"Cheers." Brittany tapped her Reeses against it.

* * *

The next morning, Ben roused them all early. Tamara and Brittany did their usual morning grumbling. "Why do you wake us up so early?" Tamara complained. "Jedi's always sleep in."

Ben walked briskly back to Brittany. "We're going back to the island today."

"No wonder you're in such a bright mood," Brittany yawned.

"Downstairs in an hour," he announced. He kissed the top of her head and marched out of the room.

After sixty minutes had passed, everyone was gathered in the lobby, suitcases in hand. "So, how are we getting to the island?" Brittany asked.

"We're boating," Ben answered.

"Arg matey!" Tamara shouted in a pirate voice.

"Oh, not again!" Desmond groaned, slapping his forehead. Tamara gave him a flirty smile and tackled him in a kiss.

Ben was unnerved and quickly looked away. "Follow me." They all followed him out of the hotel and down the street….for about three hours.

"Why didn't you get a taxi?" Kate asked, panting.

Ben looked at her like she was an inferior (which she was). "Because, Kate, we can't all fit in a taxi car, can we?" Kate was silent after being burned.

They finally arrived at the dock. "What about Jo- Jeremy?" Jack asked.

"He's already inside," Ben told him. Brittany looked at Tamara. There was a dead guy in the boat?!

"Dudes, I'm not so sure about this," Hurley said, making his presence finally known.

"Don't worry, Hugo. I'll drive," Brittany declared.

"NO!" Ben, Tamara, Jack, Kate, and Sayid cried at the same time. They all remembered her insane driving back at the island when she and Ben were arriving at the dock with Walt. Speaking of Walt…

"Brittany!" Walt's voice echoed. His voice was deeper, and when Brittany turned to face him, he was much taller.

"Walt. You're…huge! And your voice broke."

"Puberty," Walt shrugged.

"Ugh, I hated those days," Brittany nodded in agreement.

"I didn't go through puberty," Ben said proudly. "I just magically woke up one day and was fully grown."

"Wow," Brittany said in awe.

They boarded the boat, an expensive yacht, and headed out to sea. Instantly, Brittany and Tamara went in search for John's dead body.

"Ew! He's all squat and gross looking," Tamara cringed. They found him still in his funeral clothes. "Hey, John looks good in a suit," she appraised.

The boat rocked, making John roll to his side, facing them. Both of the girls screamed in horror. "Zombie!" Brittany shrieked. They ran out of the room quickly and rushed back on deck. Suffice to say, they were both clinging to their significant others for the rest of the day.

Days passed uneventfully. It seemed everyone excluding the Fab Four (Ben, Brittany, Tamara, and Desmond), were depressed about the looming island ahead. Ben was steering the ship, as he was the only one who knew where the island was hanging out these days. Brittany spent most of her time with him, trying to steal the wheel so she could drive. Her attempts were all in vain. So, she sulked with Tamara while she and her fiancé made up for the time in which they were not allowed to be intimate.

A week passed. It was early on the seventh morning that the first sign of land was seen. Ben drove quickly then, making sure to watch the reefs. "Home sweet home," Ben murmured as he pulled up to the dock. They disembarked and set foot on the island once more. It seemed exactly the same as before. Suddenly, a group of people appeared out of the trees. Richard was leading them. He smiled as they walked up the dock.

"Welcome home, Benjamin," Richard greeted.

Ben smiled politely. "Nice to see you again, Richard." Then it was all business. "Are they following us?"

Richard nodded. "They're a day behind." He looked behind Ben at the others. "I see you've managed to bring everyone."

Ben nodded. "It wasn't that difficult. We need to make the necessary fortifications."

"Already started," Richard bowed his head.

"Good." Ben began walking with Richard into the jungle.

"Wait! What exactly are we fortifying against?" Kate asked.

Ben paused and looked back at her. "The final battle, Kate. The final battle."

**Is it safe to come out now? This is…ridiculously late. I was being incredibly lazy with the typing of this. I swear, though, the next chapter will be up on Saturday! **


	25. The Final Battle and the Final Party

**Only this chapter, then Epilogue. This chapter is extremely cracky, but I had a blast writing it. Also, remember, this was written pre season 5, but there is like, one or two coincidences that occur.**

**Chapter 25: The Final Battle…and the Final Party (Tamara's chapter)**

Tamara, after several hours, believed that battles were not all they're cracked up to be. After their arrival, Richard had dragged them off to the jungle in order to avoid being seen. That was the most exciting even that had happened so far. Desmond, Ben, and Richard were talking out some battle strategy (no girls allowed, unfortunately; Tamara and Brittany had some fantastic ideas- who else would have thought of tripping up the enemy with banana peel trails?), Kate was talking to Aaron, Jack was _trying _to talk to Kate, Hurly was eating, Sayid was being sad, Walt was playing with Vincent (Richard had, apparently, adopted the dog), Sun was searching fruitlessly for her husband, Brittany was playing rock, paper, scissors with Wilbur, Daniel Faraday was searching for his other sock, and Tamara was chopping firewood with her lightsaber.

A voice interrupted her thoughts. "Need a hand?" It was Juliet. The two old friends embraced joyfully.

"I think I've got it covered," Tamara responded to her query, nodding to her handy dandy lightsaber.

Juliet sat down on a convenient log. "I can't help but wonder," she began hesitatingly, "what did you do when you were in the outside world?"

Tamara wrinkled her nose in thought. She sat beside Juliet, flicking her lightsaber back into place. "I can't really remember. There was sex, though. Lots of it."

Juliet raised her eyebrows. "I didn't want to know that."

Tamara shrugged. "You asked."

The two friends sat in an awkward silence. Tamara had been gone for so long off the island that Juliet now had nothing in common with her. Their silence was, thankfully, interrupted by Brittany's distressed shout.

"_Wilbur! _You can't use dynamite! That's cheating!"

Apparently, she was a sore loser when it came to little kid games.

Ben, with a sigh, separated himself from his group of battle planners to calm his girlfriend down. Desmond and Richard both looked at one another cluelessly. Ben was the evil mastermind behind the war, so they broke up their planning session and joined Tamara and Juliet on their log, which was becoming very crowded.

Tamara was squished awkwardly between Desmond and Juliet, and Juliet and Richard were struggling to stay on the improvised loveseat.

A thought struck Tamara, and she giggled. Leaning behind Juliet, she poked Desmond's arm. When he looked at her, she said, "So, Richard. How are your socks? Sticky enough for you?"

Richard gave her a false smile. "That- that was very clever on your part, I must say. A little juvenile, but hey, nobody's perfect. Of course, I knew that it was you all along."

Miles chose that moment to casually stroll behind the four bumps on the log and say, "No he didn't- if he had, he would've had you shot."

Tamara grinned at Richard, and he hastily changed the subject."

"So, Desmond," Juliet said from Tamara's side, "how've you been?"

Desmond leaned around the front of Tamara and replied, "Oh, perfect. Of course, I had to endure months with Tamara and Brittany together- that was rather hectic."

"How did you guys make it alive?" Juliet asked, rather shocked.

"It was rather difficult," Desmond sighed, but his love for his fiancée kept him from being irritated with Tamara and Brittany.

"Hey! I heard that!" She shoved Desmond. Juliet fell from the log, Desmond on top of her. Tamara, who had become accustomed to the pressure on either side, lost her balance at the sudden reprieve from her right side and fell over backwards. Her foot caught Richard's head, and he fell on his face.

"I'm not hanging out with you anymore," he huffed, his face full of mud.

"Aw, Richard, don't be like that!" Tamara called after him as he stormed off.

Juliet stood, too, and went to help Daniel look for his second sock. Tamara and Desmond stood and stared at Ben and Brittany. Ben, apparently, had decided that the best way to console Brittany was to embarrass their friends by making out in front of everybody. Young Walt was staring at them, open-mouthed, his mind becoming corrupted.

"How come we never do that?" Tamara asked Desmond.

"We do things like that all the time," Desmond argued. "Just, not in public."

They winced in unison as Brittany let out a particularly loud moan.

"This is worse than the time at the restaurant," Desmond muttered.

"And the club," Tamara agreed.

"And the cinema."

"And the zoo."

"And the park."

"And the drive-thru."

"And the museum."

"And IHOP."

"We are always being embarrassed by them," Desmond sighed. "What did we do to deserve this torture?"

"I don't know, but I'm gonna fix it," Tamara muttered. Before Desmond could question her meaning, Tamara had grabbed his hair and tugged his mouth to hers. Desmond wrapped his arms around her waist. Their tongues somehow found their way into each other's mouths. Tamara had tangled her fingers in Desmond's locks, and his hands rested on the skin of her back. They twisted, and their kissing got even more frantic. Tamara found herself pushed against a tree, Desmond's hands on either side of her. She opened her eyes to get a look at Ben and Brittany's faces.

"_OH MY GOD!!!_" she shrieked. Somehow (she had no idea how), she had let go of Desmond. Even worse- she had her tongue down Benjamin's throat. "_EW!!!" _She pushed Ben away from her and retched violently (and theatrically). It was no consolation that Ben was doing the same thing.

And it was really no consolation that Brittany and Desmond were wrenching apart, looks of horror on their faces.

Tamara and Brittany glared at each other. Ben and Desmond backed away. "You BITCH!" Tamara screamed, pointing at Brittany.

"Oh, I'm the bitch? You started it!"

Tamara gasped, appalled. She bent down and threw a glob of mud in Brittany's face. With an enraged roar, Brittany attacked Tamara, throwing them onto the ground into a mud puddle. Brittany entangled her hands in Tamara's long hair. Tamara screamed in pain and anger and attempted to gouge Brittany's eyes out.

Ben and Desmond both glared at each other. And glared. And glared some more. Tamara and Brittany abruptly stopped their fight and rounded on their lovers.

"Desmond!" Tamara snapped. "Why aren't you defending my honor?"

"Yeah!" Brittany agreed, rounding on Ben. "Why were you kissing her?" she whined. "Am I not good enough for you?"

"No, Brittany, I swear!"

Brittany raised her hand. "I don't want to hear it." And she stalked off, arm in arm with Tamara.

* * *

"We need to return to the Barracks," Ben ordered a while later.

"Yeah, I was wondering why we were just sitting in a random clearing," Juliet agreed.

"We're waiting for Frank," Daniel stated, as though it were obvious.

Tamara and Brittany looked at Daniel with pity. Obviously, he was unaware that Frank would never come back. It had been hard enough for them to find the island again.

Just then, they heard the sounds of two people trudging through the woods. Desmond and Ben moved to protect their lovers, and their lovers whipped out their amazing lightsabers. Juliet pulled out a gun, Richard pulled out a staff, and Miles and Daniel just looked confused.

All their preparations were in vain, however, as the only two people who emerged into the clearing were Penny and Frank.

"What?!" Tamara and Brittany demanded simultaneously.

"How did you get here?" Ben demanded.

"My father. He's half a day away," Penny explained.

"Why are you _together_?" Tamara asked, eying Penny and Frank's linked hands.

"It's been a long time," Frank shrugged. Then he kissed Penny. Passionately.

"Okay, that is more than I needed to know," Brittany grumbled.

This display of affection didn't bother Ben, who, after all, held the patent on older men with younger women.

"Run to the Barracks!" he ordered.

"Dude, we have to run?" Hurley asked. His tone was resigned.

Nobody bothered to answer. Instead, the small group took off running. They raced through the trees until they reached the pylon fence. While they waited for Ben to turn the fence off, Tamara happened to spot something moving in the grass. Kneeling to see what it was, she gave a cry of joy. "Peter!" For it was Peter, bunny number sixteen.

Ben looked appalled as Tamara scooped the rabbit up and cuddled him. "You _named _bunny sixteen?"

"How did you get a pet bunny?" Brittany demanded. Tamara was saved from answering by the sound of the pylons deactivating. They rushed through all the way to Otherville. It appeared that most of the island inhibiters were here. Charlotte ran to Daniel, overjoyed to see him alive. They shared a passionate kiss.

Kate, upon seeing Sawyer, made to run theatrically into his arms, but Juliet beat her there. Sawyer and Juliet shared a romantic kiss. Kate saw red. Sure, she had once agreed to marry Jack, but she was here now! How dare Sawyer move on!

Miles rushed to Claire, eager to see her. They shared a sweet kiss, before Claire accosted Kate, and, finally, got Aaron back.

Tamara and Brittany stood amid the blossoming romances, feeling as though they'd turned two pages at once.

"Do you get the feeling that we've missed a lot on the romance front?" Tamara asked.

Brittany nodded. "Feels like high school, to be completely honest."

However, there was one poor soul who was left alone, looking desperately for his lover. "Where's Waldo?" Wilbur mourned. Tamara snickered. Brittany shot him a glare, although she, too, was trying not to laugh.

Desmond took Tamara's hand and led her to the closest unoccupied mustard-colored house. They sat down on the couch and stared at the wall.

"Now what?" Tamara sighed.

Brittany and Ben entered, looking surprised to see Tamara and Desmond.

"Hi," Tamara and Desmond said together in the same monotone.

"Hi," Ben said, his tone just as dull.

Brittany, on the other hand, was _very _bubbly. "Let's party!" she cried. A bunch of people they had never seen before burst from all rooms, waving their hands in the air, appearing to be attending a pajama party. A man whom Tamara dubbed Cedric Diggory casually strolled by, flipping a large silver coin. The woman following him was Asian, so Tamara called her Cho Chang. The man following her like a lost puppy had glasses so he was officially Harry Potter. A man swinging a suitcase was dressed like Harry, so he was Colin Creevey.

There was a woman serving drinks, so she was Madame Rosmerta. 'Harry' stopped to get a drink from her, but he was interrupted by a soulful stare at 'Cho' and a random romantic intercourse with a girl Tamara called Ginny.

"Where did all these people come from?!" Tamara exclaimed in awe, watching a man with a cigar in his teeth strut by her. He was Dumbledore, in her opinion.

"More importantly, where did all the _clothes _come frome?!" Brittany demanded, staring at 'Dumbledore's' pink vest and 'Ginny's' white…outfit.

"Jacob's cabin, of course," Ben stated as if it were obvious.

"How did they fit in his cabin?" Tamara wondered. "It's so small! He doesn't even have a bathroom!"

Deciding that the matter wasn't worth worrying about, Tamara and Brittany took a pink drink each from 'Rosmerta,' backing hastily towards the wall as 'Harry' and 'Ginny' danced past. An unpleasant looking man with large teeth came and stood between the two friends. Neither looked at him, hoping he would just go away. He didn't. He just stood there, grinning wickedly and breathing heavily.

Finally, Tamara decided to break the (very) awkward silence. "So…what've you been up to, Frogurt?"

"It's _Neil,_" Frogurt proclaimed. His voice was irritatingly nasally. Tamara could think of nothing to say, so she started watching Ben and Desmond play pool against Jack and a blonde survivor named Tracy. As Desmond and Ben were winning, Jack was crying. Tracy threw her arms around Jack and kissed him passionately. Kate didn't like that; she retreated to a corner and drowned her sorrows in Ben's secret wine hoard. Tamara was too immersed in these developments to notice that Frogurt Guy was ogling Desmond.

"You know, you'll never go far with him," he said.

Tamara wasn't really paying attention. "Sorry?"

"You and Desmond- you'll never make it past first base, so why don't you give up and clear the way for someone else?"

Tamara, who had never really been sure which base meant what (and she didn't follow baseball anyway), held up that hand that bore her engagement ring.

Frogurt Guy grimaced. "Well played, Tamara, well played indeed. But I'll always be waiting in the sidelines; and when you screw up-" he thumped his chest like a gorilla, "-it's Neil time." He was gone.

Tamara and Brittany stared at each other across the empty space Frogurt had occupied.

"That was…" Brittany didn't even bother finishing her sentence. Tamara nodded, understanding her meaning.

They watched in wonder as 'Dumbledore' dragged 'Harry' by the hand and randomly knocked on a door.

"Are they going to help us in the battle?" Brittany wondered aloud.

"Hope so," Tamara replied. "They'd probably frighten Widmore and his lackeys away." As she said this, the people at the pajama party continued to shimmy around an unconscious Kate (she was passed out drunk).

Tamara, Brittany, Desmond, and Ben were playing 'Go Fish' with a pack of Brittany's 'Old Maid' cards, now oblivious to the ongoing pajama party and love dramas.

"Do you have any Strong Men?" Brittany asked Desmond.

Ben snorted. "I'm a strong man, Brittany." He winked at her. Brittany blushed. Grinning wider, Ben flexed his muscles. Tamara, who was sitting beside him, plucked up the sleeve of his collared shirt, trying to help his lack of muscle. He glowered.

There was a noise outside. Ben rose to his feet and peeked out the window. He was so short that Desmond could easily see over the top of his head. However, now the two men were blocking the window. Tamara, who about a foot shorter than Desmond and a couple of inches shorter than Ben, was actually jumping up to try and see over her fiance's head. Brittany, who was about the same height as Ben, was reduced to standing on her toes, craning her neck. The girls gave up and merely pushed their lovers out of the way. Brittany shoved Desmond into a stereo. Tamara shoved Ben into the nearest cactus plant.

"Sorry, Dezzy," Brittany grinned, taking his spot at the window.

Tamara rolled her eyes at Ben's pained moans. "It's your own fault; why do you even own a cactus?!"

Peering into the gloom, the girls saw what had made the noise- Widmore's army had arrived.

"How did they get through the fence?" Brittany wondered aloud.

"They came from the beach," Ben explained, his voice tight with pain.

Tamara, Brittany, and Desmond stared at him. "This is the worst security system ever," Desmond declared.

"Ditto," Brittany agreed.

"What do you say when you're the third person to agree to something?" Tamara asked Brittany. Brittany shrugged.

Ben finally freed himself from his cactus trap. "Widmore!" he bellowed. Instantly, the pajama partiers stopped shimmying. 'Cedric's' coin gained a razor sharp edge; it was plain that he meant to throw them at the opponent's neck. 'Cho' had apparently been carrying a gun on her thigh, as one suddenly appeared in her hand. 'Harry's' glasses flashed; he touched the top and a red light vaporized the piano. 'Colin' pulled an M-16 out of his suitcase. 'Rosmerta's' drink tray transformed into a grenade launcher. 'Ginny' whipped off the veil she had been wearing; it cracked like a whip. 'Dumbledore' removed his cigar; it transformed into a lightsaber.

Tamara and Brittany stared at the warriors in their pajamas. An explosion knocked them to their senses, and they whipped out their lightsabers.

The doorbell rang.

"Not again," Tamara moaned.

Sawyer answered the door cautiously (sporting an AK-47), and a figure tumbled in. They all gaped in surprise, too shocked to speak.

Wilbur was the first to speak. "Waldo?!" His tone was fearful. Possibly because of his dark cloak, combat boots, Kevlar vest, and emo hair.

"Hello, Wilbur," he sneered. To the rest of the shocked party, he said, "I bring a message from Mr. Widmore…or should I say Charles?" He smiled.

Wilbur recognized that smile for what it was. His face crumpled and his eyes filled with tears. "No, Waldo," he moaned. "How could you do this to me?"

Waldo smirked. "Well, Wilbur, because you're so _dull _and unimportant! Sharing a bed with you wasn't getting me anywhere. With Charles, on the other hand…" He trailed off with a dreamy smile.

Tamara and Brittany, who were just beginning to understand what was going on, stared at each other in horror.

"He betrayed us!" Tamara was thinking of her former stalker.

"Never mind that!" Brittany whispered. "He's sleeping with Charles Widmore!" She shuddered.

Waldo must've had superhearing, because he heard them. "It's only because Tamara so cruelly rejected me that I turned gay in the first place!"

"Way to ruin everything, Tamara," Brittany muttered.

"I cost more than a couple of bananas, Waldo," Tamara snarled. She wasn't sure whether or not to be flattered that she had turned this man gay (not to mention evil).

"She's free for me," Desmond put in. Tamara glared at him. Waldo glared at Desmond. Ben thought it would be best to stop the insanity before someone got hurt.

"Waldo, you said you had a message from Charles?"

Brittany groaned. "What is it with you and your first name basis? Don't tell me you've slept with him too!"

Ben ignored her and waited patiently for Waldo's response.

"His message is," he took out a piece of paper and read aloud, "'You are all going to die.'" He made to leave.

Ben nodded. This was clearly a message of some sort because 'Cho' fired her gun. Waldo fell to the ground, dead.

"NOOOOO!" Wilbur moaned, tears coursing down his cheeks.

Tamara and Brittany looked at each other; they were both thinking the same thing: _this war is like a soap opera! _They, they turned to Ben.

"What now?" Brittany asked, which was probably for the best; he probably wouldn't answer Tamara.

"We meet them head on," Ben said dramatically.

Tamara turned to Desmond and held out her hand. "It was nice knowing you," she declared. They shook hands before sharing a passionate kiss. Ben and Brittany were doing the same a few feet away.

Then, without further ado, everyone in the house (except Kate- she was still passed out drunk)ran out, crying fierce battle cries, waving their weapons around. Widmore's men raised their guns. It was then that they heard it.

From the treeline, there was a rhythmic beat, vibrating all around. Everyone held their positions shocked. The source of the noise was soon revealed as the monster that Tamara and Brittany had long ago dubbed 'George.'

The beat turned out to be more than rhythm; it was music. George's lights flashed in time to the music. What was more, Tamara and Brittany actually recognized the song.

"It's the Imperial Death March!" Brittany cheered.

Tamara frowned. "So…George is a giant boombox?"

Ben snarled. "First of all, _he _is a _she_, and _her _name's not _George_! It's Betty!"

Tamara scowled. "He got a sex change!"

While this exchange was happening, Widmore's men had recovered themselves, and they started shooting.

'Harry' vaporized two M-16s with his laser glasses. 'Cedric' began tossing his coin into Widmore's men's necks. Apparently, his coin was also a boomerang. 'Rosemerta' blew up a house with her grenade launcher. The other partiers joined in, too.

Tamara and Brittany grinned at each other, eagerly jumping into the fray, swinging their lightsabers about expertly.

Ben swung his ninja baton and Desmond wielded a heavy, deadly gun.

Daniel was bopping people on the head with his notebook. Charlotte was using her gun, but she wasn't using it. When Juliet, after successfully completing a roundhouse kick mouthed 'What are you doing?' Charlotte mouthed 'No bullets.'

Walt had a backgammon box open and was chucking the pieces at his opponents.

No matter how hard the islanders fought, Widmore's men kept coming, and George kept pumping out the Imperial Death March. However, Jack pointed out, it could've been worse.

"How?!" Sawyer demanded pessimistically.

"It could be raining!" Jack told him. Magic words as, at that very moment, it started to rain. Everyone was soaked in seconds. Tracy, Jack's new girlfriend, glared at him.

Tamara and Brittany were fighting back to back. They had just dispatched their enemies when a man flipped over to them. He had long, straggly black hair, a long sword, and, best of all, a tattered red cloak that was blowing dramatically in the fierce wind. In a deep, husky, _manly _voice, he said, "Where can I buy a phone?" And then he was gone.

Tamara and Brittany stared at each other, but before they could comment, they were attacked again. Shrugging to themselves, they turned away and continued slashing their lightsabers about.

Ben took out a large knife and began slashing throats. "I will have vengeance!" he cried.

'Ginny's' whip-veil wrapped itself around some guy's neck and broke it.

As the Imperial Death March reached the climax for the thirtieth time, a figure stepped out of the gloom. It was Widmore, and he had a long, dark cape that flowed behind him dramatically. Everyone on the field froze.

He smirked. From a ring on his middle finger, he shot a bolt of electricity at a house.

Tamara's mouth dropped open. "You are kidding me!"

"Lightsabers, the Imperial Death March, and now Emperor Palpatine?!" Brittany, too, was incredulous.

Juliet, meanwhile, was staring at the now burning house. "Hang on, wasn't Kate passed out drunk in there?"

Charlotte shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"Nah, guess not." The fighting continued. Every so often, they heard Widmore's "heh heh heh" as they fought.

Ben fought to reach Widmore, but Wilbur got there first. "Mr. Widmore!" Widmore looked at him.

To everybody's confusion, he suddenly embraced Widmore tightly. Nobody saw him pull the cord but Desmond (he was in the army after all). Desmond instantly pushed Tamara to the ground as Widmore and Wilbur blew up.

When the ground stopped shaking, everyone looked at the blackened grass.

"My slave…killed…himself," Brittany mumbled.

"He couldn't handle Waldo's death," Ben explained.

"How very _Romeo and Juliet _of him," Tamara murmured. "Sorry, Juliet," she added to Juliet Burke.

"That's alright," Juliet said amiably.

Miles sniffed the air. "Hey, I smell burning flesh." Everyone looked at the house where Kate was dying less dramatically than Mrs. Lovett.

"Hey, you know, somebody should really put that out," Claire said.

"It's too late for her, honey," Rose said.

"No, I meant, before the fire spreads to the other houses."

"Oh."

And so they began the rebuilding of the Dharma community.

**Right, a few notes. The pajama party people are from the film **_**Singin' in the Rain. **_**There's a massive dance montage in it, and one time, Brittany and I came up with a huge story revolving around Harry Potter and pajama parties. The "Where can I buy a phone?" guy is also someone. It's Vincent from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. During some battle, Vincent randomly appears, goes, "Where can I buy a phone?" then goes off screen. It's weird. Widmore's weird laugh is a take off of **_**Lego Star Wars. **_**When you fight Emperor Palpatine (or even when you're just walking around the Cantina with him) he will often randomly go "heh heh heh."**

**Right, just an Epilogue left, and then I'll begin posting the oneshots that go with this story. They'll be in a different fic, and, unlike this fic, that story will be rated M.**


	26. Epilogue of Awesome

**Sorry this is later than expected. I just started a new job and I've had to juggle my writing commitments for the Last Author Standing challenge on Livejournal, my own personal fanfic, and the two consecutive stories Brittany and I are writing this summer. This chapter is split into two parts. The first part is by Brittany, and the second part is by me. Also, in my section, there's another unintentional nod to season five.**

**Epilogue: Five Years Later (Brittany and Tamara's chapter)**

"Pancakes!" A boy's voice rang through the little house. A series of stomping feet followed the shout as a little boy rounded the corner and entered the kitchen. Three years old, William Linus was a split-image of his father already. His black hair neatly combed back, his bright blue eyes shone eagerly for the source of the delicious smell.

"Mom! Mom!" Pancakes!" William cried again, leaping over to his mother and clutching onto her leg.

Brittany looked down at her son and grinned. While he looked like his father, his personality was completely hers. Luckily, though, he had his daddy's brains.

"Go sit down, Will. Is Dad awake?"

Will nodded and ran to his seat, climbing up into it. "He's in the shower." Brittany noticed the look of discomfort on his face.

"He's singing again, isn't he?" she smirked. Will nodded. Ben had started singing in the shower lately, terrifying both of his fellow family members.

"Good morning!" Ben walked in then.

"Morning, Dad!" William cheerfully greeted back. Ben stooped and placed a kiss on the top of his head.

"Pancakes again?" came Ben's ever question.

"Ah, ah, and waffles," Brittany corrected him.

Ben gave her a look of surprise. "My, my, your cooking skills are growing."

"I know," Brittany sighed happily.

"I'm surprised we still have syrup left. I mean, after last night-" Brittany cut him off with a pointed look at William. Ben quickly shut his mouth and gave her a knowing look.

"Don't worry, we still have some left for later tonight, too," she whispered in his ear.

Ben wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. "Good. That was incredibly tasty."

"I'm glad you approved of my idea. We'll experiment with ice cream later." She bit on his earlobe seductively.

As always, he shuddered and pressed her tighter against him. "I suppose ice cream is less sticky than syrup. It took me forever to get it off in the shower," he told her.

Brittany merely smirked and guided him over to the table. After eating breakfast, Brittany took what extra pancakes and waffles they had and walked over to the bookcase. "Are you going to the Humes?" Ben asked from behind her. "I thought we were going to see Alex."

"Yeah, I just want to see if they want the rest of breakfast," she told him. "You can come if you like."

"Might as well. We can drop off Willy with them," Ben decided. They had both come to the decision that they would tell Will about Alex when he was older.

"Well, come along then, stud." Brittany pulled on the bookcase, opening the _secret _room.

"That's a new one," Ben remarked and hoisted Will on his hip. Will wrapped his arms around his neck and shoulders and looked at the secret opening excitedly.

"Are we going to Mrs. Hume?" William asked.

"Yup. You're going to stay there for a little while. Daddy and I need to take care of some business."

William gave a sound akin to glee. Brittany took Ben's free hand, and they walked down the steps to the _secret _room below. Ben glanced at the _secret _door behind his _secret _good suits.

Brittany pushed the suits away and revealed the door. "Will you ever tell me what all of this means?" Will asked, pointing to the hieroglyphics on the door.

"When you get older," Ben promised. "You'll need to learn to be the leader, after all. In time, you'll know all of the secrets."

"I'm going to be a king! Like King Arthur," Will grinned.

Ben smiled proudly. "In a sense. Just without the armor and with indoor plumbing.

Brittany opened the door, revealing a dirt tunnel leading downward underground. She picked up a lantern and lit it. Lighting their way, they walked through the _secret _passageway. The path moved off in two directions; they turned right rather than left. A ladder was positioned at the end of the tunnel. Ben let Will down. He climbed up the ladder after his mother.

Brittany pushed open the trapdoor and climbed out. Finding herself in the Humes' sink cupboard, she opened the door and began crawling out. Unfortunately, she stood too quickly and hit her head on the sink above. "Ow!" she cried in pain.

"Did you hit your head again?" Ben asked from somewhere below her.

"…Maybe," Brittany replied unwaveringly.

"Desmond, the Linuses are here," Tamara's voice echoed. She appeared in the kitchen a moment later. "I heard your cry of pain," she smirked at Brittany.

Brittany rubbed her head and stood to the side so Will and Ben could climb out. "William!" Tamara gushed and ruffled his hair.

"We need you to look after him for awhile," Ben told her, smoothing out his shirt. "We're going to visit her." Tamara nodded, understanding.

"That's fine, but you two owe us double time now," she reminded them.

"Speaking of, we'll need you to take Willy again next Friday. It's our anniversary." Brittany sent Ben a flirty smile. His ears turned red, and he looked down at the floor. She grinned and took his hand.

"Oh? What are you two doing?" Tamara asked curiously.

"It's a secret. Ben's not even telling me," Brittany grumbled. "Although, I requested that he do a little strip sho-"

"Brittany!" Ben exclaimed, clapping his hands over Will's ears.

"Honestly, how you two manage to keep him so innocent, I'll never know," Tamara sighed. "You're practically humping each other at every second!" Ben's mouth dropped open, but Brittany was smiling proudly.

"We've still got it!" she made a sexy pose.

Desmond walked in then and smiled when he saw Will. William was very fond of Desmond for the sole reason of his amazing accent. He broke free from Ben's grip and hugged Desmond eagerly.

"Hi Mr. Hume!" he greeted.

"Hello, William. Are you staying with us?" Desmond asked. Will nodded fiercely. "Wonderful. I was just about to put on a pot of tea, if anybody is interested?"

"Actually, Ben and I are leaving, sorry," Brittany declined his offer.

"Benboozlement," Tamara gave him a new nickname, "you've got some dirt on your face."

Ben glowered at her nickname. Brittany looked at his face. Sure enough, clouds of dirt covered his face. "Snowflake, you always get dirty whenever we go through that tunnel."

"Sunflower, I can't help it if the dirt particles are attracted to my face. I must be so gorgeous that the particles are jealous and need to cover my face," Ben smirked. Tamara snorted. Ben glared. Brittany grabbed a cloth and cleaned his face. "Tomato, why are you never dirty?"

"Because, Sumo Soup, I'm too awesome for the dirt to stick to me," Brittany replied.

"Speaking of dreams," Ben said suddenly, even though they were definitely not talking about dreams, "I had one last night."

"Did you?" Desmond questioned.

"Yeah…John and Kate got married," Ben mused absently.

"But…they're dead," Tamara pointed out.

"So? That doesn't mean you can't get married in the afterlife," Ben told her matter-of-factly.

"I had a dream. John, Peter Pettigrew, and Desmond were sleeping in a bed. Ben, you were sleeping on the floor." Brittany gave him an apologetic look. "and Jack was sleeping in a chair. Richard was floating and was singing 'Alistair Jauyer.' He climbed out of the window, and Ben tried to climb out after him, but everyone woke up and stopped him. Oh, and Peter tried to cuddle with you," Brittany looked at Desmond, "but you kicked him."

"Thank goodness for that," Desmond smiled.

"Peter Pettigrew? He's a bad guy," William blurted out. Ben had been reading the Harry Potter books to him every night. They were on the fifth one.

"We'll be taking our leave now," Ben cleared his throat. He placed his hand on Brittany's back and gently nudged her.

"Behave yourself, Will. No messing about," she warned her son, giving him a quick kiss.

"If we hear that they had problems with you, I won't be reading Harry Potter…for a week," Ben said sternly and dramatically.

William gulped. "I'll be a good boy," he promised. Ben kissed his forehead and took Brittany's hand.

"We'll be back soon," he told them, and they left.

"No Harry Potter for a week? What kind of punishment is that?" she asked once they were outside.

"What? I enjoy Harry Potter, too. Any more than a week and I would be punishing myself too. That's just not fair," Ben told her.

They walked through the barracks, a few of the other inhabitants nodding to them as they passed. Sun had left the island once more. Jin was, most regrettably, dead. Of course, she had beat Ben to a pulp for lying to her. It wasn't hard to beat Ben to a pulp really. Jack and Tracy had officially moved in together. Sayid was a confirmed bachelor, much to Ben's surprise. Hugo had hooked up with Cindy the Flight Attendant. Aaron was being raised by Claire once more, who was not dead. She had been having a saucy affair with Richard for the past couple of years. Sawyer and Juliet had been engaged for the past year: the wedding was in a couple of months. Daniel and Charlotte were together and enjoying running explosive experiments in their house. They've had to rebuild their house many times. Miles had somehow seduced one of the original Others into having a relationship with him. Both Tamara and Brittany came to the decision that the girl was only in it for angry sex.

Brittany and Ben left the barracks and walked into the jungle. Before they passed through the sonar fence, they took a right and followed it to a clearing. Three graves were there: the only three graves besides the Dharma pit on the island, Ben had said. Alex, Annie, and Mikhail, whom Brittany and Tamara had argued over. Since they had been unable to find the body, they had found his jumpsuit and an extra eyepatch and buried these instead.

Ben moved to Alex's grave and looked down at it. All trace of humor had left his face; only silent solemness and grief remained. Brittany looked at the grave, and the memories of that day refreshed in her mind.

"She's happier now," Brittany whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.

Ben slowly nodded and replied distantly, "yes, she is." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and pressed his own cheek against her hair. Although they both, including Tamara, were mourning for Alex still, Brittany knew that with Ben at her side, the years to come would be, in a word: fantabulous.

"I love you, Ben," she murmured.

And with a cliché ending, he replied, "I love you, too."

* * *

The doorbell rang. Tamara left Desmond playing Dharma Drives with Will, which were like Hot Wheels, except they had Dharma logos on the side.

Beyond the yellow door stood Daniel and Charlotte Faraday.

"Hey guys," Tamara greeted, smiling. "What brings you here?" Not that they needed a reason to visit; Daniel and Charlotte were good friends of the Hume family.

"We found something in the garden," Charlotte said. Tamara groaned. This happened often, and she knew what was coming next.

"_Somethings_, actually," Daniel corrected. He moved aside to reveal two abashed children.

Tamara sighed, but she wasn't really angry. Exasperated, maybe, but never angry. It was impossible to get angry at the twins. Ben had tried, but they were too cute. When Tamara had pointed this out to him, he had replied with, "They've got too much of you in them."

"I'm cute?" Tamara had asked. As far as she knew, Ben had slept on the couch that night.

Tamara wrapped her arms around her kids. Desmond and Tamara had named their daughter Alex, with Ben's permission. Alex looked just like her mother with long brown hair and dark brown eyes.

Charlie, who was named so on Desmond's insistence, looked like his father with messy bronze hair and brown eyes.

Both children had Tamara's penchant for getting into trouble, much to Desmond's chagrin. Tamara and Brittany seemed to be the only two on the island who found the antics of the twins adorable.

"Do you two want to come in?" Tamara asked Daniel and Charlotte.

"Sorry, we left Michael with Claire, and she's got a date soon. We can't stay," Charlotte said regretfully.

Tamara sighed. "Well, bring Michael over for dinner tonight; the Linuses dropped William off; the kids can play together."

Alex interrupted Daniel, who had been about to say something. "Willy's here?"

"Yay!" Charlie exclaimed. And the twins ran into the house, crying, "Willy!"

"We'll be by later," Daniel promised. Tamara gave Daniel a hug before turning back to the crazy house.

Desmond was playing Barbies with Alex while Charlie and Will tried to escape, but Tamara arrived just in time to stop them. "Play with your sister," she ordered. The boys slunk back into the room, pouting. Desmond looked up when Tamara entered.

"The Faradays were just dropping off your children," Tamara told him, cheerfully plopping herself down on the floor and began doing her daughter's hair. She often treated her daughter like a life-sized doll.

"They're your children, too, you know," Desmond grinned.

"Can I ask you a question, Tami?" Will asked, distracted from his playing. William called Tamara by her nickname because he couldn't pronounce her name correctly. Instead of "Tamra," he pronounced it "Tamaira."

"Sure," Tamara replied.

"Why does Mommy and Daddy make such weird noises at night?" Tamara looked up, shocked, and Desmond gave a suspicious sounding cough.

"What sort of noises are they making, Will?" Tamara asked, fighting to keep a straight face.

"Sort of…grunting," William said.

"Yeah, um, Mommy and Daddy are pretending to…uh, be wild animals," Tamara lied.

"Wild animals?"

Desmond gave her a look that quite clearly said, "Good luck getting out of this one."

Tamara gulped. "Yeah, they're, um, pretending to be, um, elephants. They're mating!" Desmond groaned.

"What's mating?" Will asked. Charlie and Alex were paying attention now.

Damn the curiosity of children!

"It's, a, um, card game!" Desmond snorted. "It's sort of like Old Maid. Ben gets to show Brittany all his strong men!"

Desmond burst out laughing. His laughter halted when Charlie asked, "Is that what you and Daddy do every night?"

"Absolutely," Tamara grinned.

"Can you teach us how to play?" Alex asked, grinning her toothy grin.

Desmond, deciding that his wife had done enough youthful corruption for one day, stepped in. "When you're older."

* * *

"Desmond, we're having a dinner party," Tamara said.

"Says who?" Desmond asked.

"Me!" Tamara cheered. Desmond groaned. "The Linuses will be here; Claire and Richard are bringing Aaron. The Faradays are bringing Michael; Juliet and Sawyer will also be here."

"I miss ordering pizza," Desmond sighed.

"Hurley's pizza place isn't open yet; you know that," Tamara sighed.

She began getting dinner ready. The kids knew not to disrupt their mother while she was cooking (she'd lose focus), so they were watching Dharma Live in the other room. Desmond perched himself on the counter as he watched his wife prepare the turkey. It had been a bit of a shock when Tamara's cooking skills had improved so drastically. When she had been pregnant with the twins, she hadn't been able to do anything strenuous, such as climbing trees, running from smoke monsters (they still did that on occasion), or driving boats so she had taken up cooking. "Better than knitting," she had told Desmond.

Desmond was stirring the gravy when the doorbell rang. Tamara put down the potato masher or whatever it was called and answered the door. Brittany and Ben stood on the porch. "We're here to rescue our son," Ben greeted.

"No, you're not," Tamara argued.

Ben stared at her. "Yes, we are."

"_Nope_," Tamara popped the 'p' and folded her arms across her chest.

"Then why are we here?" Brittany asked.

"You're here for our dinner party, of course!" Tamara exclaimed.

"You mean I get real food tonight?" Ben's whole demeanor changed.

"I've been making waffles," Brittany pouted.

"True." Ben pecked her on the lips. "You're getting better."

Tamara raised a dark eyebrow. "You do know that pancakes and waffles are, in essence, the same thing?"

"Shh," Ben put a finger to his lips.

Tamara giggled. "Come on in." She stepped back.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Will came barreling into the room.

Ben let Will lead him into the kitchen. Brittany made to follow him, but Tamara held her back.

"What?" Brittany asked.

"You and I need to have a talk about your sexual activities," Tamara began.

"Woah woah woah woah woah woah!" Brittany interrupted. "I _sooo _don't think this is a topic I should discuss with my best friend!"

Tamara paused. "Who better?"

Brittany stared at her. "This conversation is becoming extremely uncomfortable."

Tamara sighed. "I'm talking about your son."

Brittany gasped. "Is your daughter seducing Will?!"

"No. Wait, what?!"

"I can't believe this!" Brittany groaned. "My son's being seduced by an older woman!"

"Alex is only a year and a half older than Will! And, anyway, I was _trying _to tell you that Will _heard _you guys!" Tamara corrected.

Brittany gaped. "Oh. This is awkward."

Tamara nodded in agreement. "Just thought I'd tell you."

"Well, let's go make dinner," Brittany said eagerly.

"No, you're not getting anywhere near my kitchen. Desmond just got the ceiling cleaned."

"Just because I chose to take up _knitting_ instead of cooking…" Brittany grumbled.

* * *

At the dinner, the adults sat around the table, watching the kids at the kiddy table.

Desmond banged his wine glass. Aaron (the oldest of the children) banged his cup of milk.

"Everyone, we have an announcement," Desmond stated. By 'we' he meant him and Tamara.

Tamara stood up. "We just found out last night- we're having another baby!" she squeed.

There was silence for a second before: "Dude!" Hurley exclaimed. The Humes and the Reyes's seemed to be popular babysitters. It was weird.

"I know, right?" Tamara giggled.

"No, I mean, dude, we just found out that Cindy's pregnant!"

"Congratulations," Juliet beamed.

"What Jules isn't mentioning is that she's preggers too!"

"So is Tracy!" Jack exclaimed. Why Desmond had insisted on inviting the Shephards was beyond Tamara.

"So am I," Claire suddenly said. Richard grinned proudly.

Miles put his pinky finger to his temple. "Through the power of angry sex, I have impregnated Ursula." Ursula was his "girlfriend."

"Through bumbling sex, Daniel and I are now having a baby," Charlotte stated.

"Jack and I are going to be busy," Juliet mused.

"But…_Ben_," Brittany whined. "Why am I the only one who's not pregnant? We have-" Tamara kicked her under the chair. "We…practice a lot," Brittany gulped.

"That's not quite true, dear," Ben stated. "Rose isn't pregnant!"

Brittany glanced at Rose and Bernard before turning to glare at Ben. "Ben, we need to get our game on! Soon, you won't be fertile."

Ben turned crimson. Before he could say anything, Tamara said, "Actually, Charlie Chaplin was in his seventies when he fathered his youngest child."

Brittany stared at her. "How do you know that?"

"I learned it from _Breaking Dawn_." Tamara said it as if it should be obvious.

"Brittany, let's talk about this later," Ben suggested.

Later that night, after Desmond and Tamara had seen the last of their guests to the door, Tamara turned to her husband. "What say we put the kids to bed and then do that experiment with the whip cream and chocolate sauce, Mr. Hume?" she asked seductively.

"Lead the way, Mrs. Hume," Desmond grinned slyly.

_Fin._

**Wow. It's like, over. Thanks to all of our fantastic readers. Don't forget, add us to Author Alert, as we have stories from other Fandoms in the works (Star Trek and Harry Potter), and we've also got deleted scenes from this story coming soon.**


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